Full Moon
by Kitsune-Ohime-Sama
Summary: The Half Moon Christmas Celebration is over and done with, but Orochimaru isn't. However, with Naruto struggling to regain his powers and fit in the modern world and the lack of communication from the Celestial Gods, Sasuke will need the help of the past to keep the world at peace and unknowing of the chaos that could descend upon it. SasuNaru. More inside. Sequel to Half Moon
1. Early Dawn

**Pairings:**

SasuNaru/ Magnet Shipping

Mentioned!ItaDei/Black &amp; White Shipping

FugaMiko/Persona Shipping

KyuuMina/Seal Shipping (Melmel Phase had requested it and s/he is the only person to say anything on it, so I'm doing it)

It's here! It's here! The sequel is here and I hope it was worth it because this story looks to be "heavy-duty".

So, this is the edited version of the first two chapters. Hopefully, with these up to date with whatever new stuff Half Moon revisions brought as well as the given fixes of grammar/spelling/narrative issues, I'll be more inspired to write for this story and finish it. :D

**Summary:**

The Half Moon Christmas Celebration is over and done with, but Orochimaru isn't. However, with Naruto struggling to regain his powers and fit in the modern world and the lack of communication from the Celestial Gods, Sasuke will need the help of the past to keep the world at peace and unknowing of the chaos that could descend upon it.

**Warnings: **This story can_not_ be read as a stand-alone from Half Moon because it picks up just two or three weeks after the events of Half Moon which explains a lot of why the writing style will change in the middle as well as a lot of concepts that are explored in this sequel. So seriously. Read it.

Also, language and this chapter switches a little between Sasuke and Naruto's POV.

The top italic sections will switch POV between two characters throughout the story.

_Edited &amp; Revised: 12/29/15_

* * *

_The forest was silent except for my heavy breathing my footfalls that were getting a little slower with each step, but I have to keep running. That beautiful moon that Minato-sama had raised into the sky what only seemed to be a while ago lit my path through the forest with its eerie light._

_I slowed myself to a stop and desperately gripped the bark of a tree with my left hand, gasping for breath and crouching close to the earth. I could barely see my toes from my dizziness of my run, but I knew that they hadn't managed to come through a long run through the forest without any protection unscathed. In fact, I was barely wearing any proper clothing. A pair of tough, yet soft shorts protects my thighs, but everything else surely had some sort of scratch or ache. The slight sting I felt whenever I twitched or turned my head even the slightest was proof of that._

_Using the tree for support, I pulled myself up, cringing as my spine straightened. Up above, the moon glowed brightly, almost wishing me well on this terrible journey that I must take. I don't want to do this, but I have to._

_Because if I didn't, _he _would catch me._

* * *

_Early Dawn_

* * *

My eyes snapped open, staring into my blue-tinted hotel room. It was still late at night, maybe four in the morning. I brought my hand up to rub my eyes when I felt the bed shift slightly a bit further down. Curious, I quietly pulled myself into a position where I was leaning on both my hands for support while leaning back on them.

Further down the huge bed was the one I usually shared it with, Naruto. He was sitting in front of the window, one hand pressed towards the glass. His expression was a longing one. The moonlight shone on him, making his appearance seem almost enchanting if not surreal. My eyes drifted off to his fox ears and tail, appendages that no normal human should have. Both served to remind me that Naruto is very much "enchanting".

Naruto is the son of the Celestial God of the Sky, Minato, and has his own unique power to light up the night and banish the coldness that came with it. He had used this gift to help the people of Konohagakure, a village up here on the mountain that refuses to modernize, with their harvests. However, about three weeks ago, he lost all of those powers.

I let out the breath I've been holding in from just remembering that moment, causing Naruto to stare at me, his eyes downcast and sad. I pushed myself against the headboard of my bed and opened my arms out to him. His eyes lit up with gratitude as he crawled into my embrace. Silently, he rested his head on my shirt-covered chest and let out a loud sigh.

Along with his power of foxfire, he had lost his ability to communicate with his father. I could tell that it was slowly getting to him. This habit of waking up in the middle of the night to stare at the window had started only a week ago and with each night, Naruto became more and more downtrodden as the days passed on.

It's a bit unbelievable and sometimes I found myself annoyed with the behavior, but I guess that if I had lost contact with Mother or Itachi with no warning and no idea of how to get them back, I would be feeling the despair that seemed plagued Naruto these last couple days.

As time passed, I succumbed to sleep, having heard Naruto's breathing even out.

* * *

Much later on that day, my brother approached me in the living room. Naruto had left for Konoha to help with re-construction a little over an hour ago. It was a good thing – he got to spend time with the villagers and he stayed out of sight of my family.

"Sasuke." My hand stopped drawing the oval shape of an eye and I turned my head to the side to see him sitting next to me. Itachi's troubled expression made me quickly straighten up.

"Did something happen?" Itachi shrugged and put his elbows on his knees and leaned his face against hands.

"More like something that happened is not happening anymore. Mother's almost fully recovered from being sick and is feeling well enough to travel." I felt my fingers go lax and my sketchbook almost fall out of my hands from my shock. Thankfully, I tightened my grip soon after.

Don't get me wrong, I love my mother. I had been worried about her being sick when she's already so tired from keeping our mansion running smoothly, as well as keeping up with the stress of her job and her responsibilities as the lady of the Uchiha. She had come from a relaxed town in the rural part of our country, so suddenly being thrust into a large and judgmental spotlight has made her cautious about everything, afraid of doing something wrong and have the people around her be disappointed by her mistakes.

So yes, hearing her recover is great. But it also meant-

"When are we leaving Konoha?" Itachi's upper lip twitched before his expression became plain once more. I'm not sure if it was going into a smile or a frown.

"Tomorrow at noon." Scowling deeply, I set my sketchbook down next to me.

"Is it because Father wants to get back to running the company personally?" Itachi didn't react, as I knew he would, but I knew that he was bothered by the mention of our Father. Neither my brother nor I enjoyed our Father's presence, if only because he insisted that we follow his every order and the traditional law. Perhaps, I wouldn't mind too much if one of his orders wasn't 'not be to be homosexual'. Not sorry to disappoint, but I'll gladly call myself a flaming homo who'll ride a dick for all my worth any day.

"That and you've been gone from school for too long. Winter break ended four days ago." I would've rolled my eyes if not for my high respect for my brother. My cousin, Neji had been emailing me his notes for the last several days and it's not like I can't catch up considering all we're doing is review.

"I won't fall behind from being absent for a couple more days. Neji'll make sure of that."

"It's not just him who wants you back in school. Mother is also worried for your grades." Like an aging stone wall hit with a tornado, I can feel my resolve break. I always tried to make myself scarce so my mother doesn't have to worry about me when she already has so many things to concern herself over.

Seeing my expression fall, Itachi tilted his head to the side, a sympathetic pose, before standing up and walking to his room. He was most likely to call Deidara, his fiancé, and tell them of our eventual arrival back in Oto. Frowning at the spot my brother occupied, I closed my sketchbook and stalked to my room.

I didn't really feel like drawing anymore.

* * *

_**~Naruto~**_

He waved to his people, smiling happily when they waved back with enthusiasm. It has been a while, but Konoha has fully recovered from the ordeal of loud thunder and flashy lightning. At times, it was sort of strange to be in the village. After finally realizing that his friends were long gone, he had become hesitant around those who reminded him of them. The cautious act he had made those around him cautious, turning the air into one of awkwardness at the worst of times.

He sighed loudly before beginning the trek into the forest, his short-cut back to the large cave that E-Sasuke dwelled when he was stopped by the call of his name. "Lord Naruto!"

Turning his head, He saw a small, flame-haired little child approach him with a huge smile and holding something preciously in her hands. Smiling, He knelt down and pressed his forehead and against hers, his smile growing when she began to giggle. He leaned back, smile still in place. "What can He do for you?"

Instead of answering, she stretched out her arms towards him and opened her clenched fists, revealing a small rock. He raised an eyebrow, confused. "What is this?"

She pouted; most likely annoyed he did not get it, before her face brightening at the prospect of teaching her deity something. "My friend Konohamaru told me that it's a heart. It means love!"

He looked between her joyful face and the strange object - the heart. Is that not... what humans consider the most important... uh... organism in their body?

His posture relaxed. He knew about love, a strong emotion humans felt when with someone they are close to. The Celestial Gods are capable of love, as shown from the many interactions between Papa and Lord Kurama.

Though… it would appear that Papa was more occupied with sharing his love with He in a familial way.

He knew of one of the most strongest... romantic love, only rivaled by its partner known as platonic love. A love so strong and filling that it could give humans the power of a Celestial, Lord Kurama often boasted when visiting his Papa in the Celestial Realm. A feeling he had once felt for… no, no thinking of such thoughts.

However, he wondered as he reached his hand out to take the small rock. The girl grinned before place the stone in his hand. He poked and prodded at it, somewhat in admiration of nature's craftsmanship.

How does such a shape connect with love? It seems so small... surely not big enough to hold more than what it was looks to hold.

"Do you like it?" He looked up to see the girl fiddling with her fingers, a little embarrassed. He grinned widely at her, finding the strange trinket quite adorable.

"Of course. It came from you, did it not?" Her face flushed red, but she seemed really grateful.

"Moegi! C'mon! It's time for dinner." A woman's voice called from the distance, a voice he instantly placed to Koharu, the village's healer. He breathed in sharply. Once more, he had to adamantly remind himself that it was not the same person. Moegi looked surprised at the sudden outburst, but nodded in the direction of the shout.

"Coming, grandma!" Moegi turned around to quickly hug his legs, smiling once more, before dashing off to her cave. He watched her go, holding the small, hard rock against his clothed chest, above where his own heart was.

Love, huh?

* * *

It wasn't a long walk back to the large cave, but due to the recent memory of pain in his leg from walking through the forest, it took longer with him being cautious of where he stepped. His new treasure was in the pocket of the clothing that 'Achi had called 'jeans'.

As his Papa slowly lowered the sun, He had finally broken free from the leafy tangle that was his home on Earth. He marched to below the strange, small portal that E-Sasuke had in his room and would leave open for him to leave and come in through. Digging his claws into cave, He climbed up the side of it, making sure to hide in the ivy whenever a human or monster approached. His one tail and ears were present on his form.

Finally, he climbed through the portal and landed on the 'bed' as Es-Sasuke had called it. He relished in the soft feeling and comforting smell the black-haired one brought. He had come to realize the differences in Sasuke that kept him from being Esuka's twin.

For one, his scent was far sourer. He was not sure why. Another was that Esuka was such a soft-spoken young man. It had surprised him that Esuka had been the one to free him (it made him no less grateful). As a child, the young man had been sickly which made his personality quite demure and cautious. Sasuke was… in the simple terms, unafraid. He said and did what he wanted with little hesitation which he found to be refreshing with how much the villagers tended to tip toe around him. Whereas Esuka would back down if he riled him and apologize, Sasuke would butt his head against his, not backing down the slightest. It was a thrilling feeling that Naruto, while abhorred the situation the encounters were surrounded by, was captivated with.

Getting up, he was surprised by the gentle chilling wind on his back. He let out a laugh; was this one of Papa's games? Often, the wind would tug a leaf from its place of a tree and it would be a game of chase between him and his Papa. While it would not replace memories of the past, they did well to bond them together and past the time.

Seeing as it would be a little while longer before Sasuke returned, there would be no harm in indulging his Papa. He turned to sit on his bottom, a wide smile on his face expecting to see the faint outlines of his Papa's face. He blinked confusedly when all he saw was the portal and the forest outside. A moment past before a depressing clarity passed over him.

His face fell, remembering the destruction of his crystal at the hands of Orochimaru. How could He have been so careless to forget about such a priceless item? Especially when around that vicious snake?

The cold breeze started up again, this time circling around his being as he stared out through the portal. The softest feel of hands on the sides of his face was almost enough to make his eyes water.

When the crystal had broken, everything was lost.

His connection with earth and sky.

His only way back to the Celestial Realm.

His sight and hearing.

His powers.

His Papa...

He tried to reach upwards the right side of his face, knowing full and well that all he would grasp is air and his own flesh. Not the warmth his Papa always had when the days grew short and the air cold.

He could look up and see the setting sky. Not the blue eyes and blond hair that he had copied from his Papa.

He could try to hear the comforting words his Papa would try to whisper into his air as the breeze circled around him faster, blowing the fabrics framing the window. All he would hear was rustling and high-pitched howling.

Orochimaru may not have captured him, but he had taken away someone who Naruto couldn't bear to lose. No matter what, he would always feel his Papa's presence by his side. It was comforting, welcoming, and helped to lull him to relax him even when he left for the mortal realm. Now all of it, everything was gone, leaving him alone and cold.

"Naruto?" His head snapped up and he turned around to see Sasuke staring at him with a strange array of emotions in his eyes. Warm fingers dabbed underneath his eyes causing him to recoil slightly at the strange gesture. "You're crying. Did… something happen?"

He did not respond; words could not explain the despondence he felt within himself as his mind recalled memories better left behind. Instead, he leaned forward to bury his face in the neck of the other. Almost instinctively, Sasuke's arms wrapped around him and Naruto felt himself relax.

The same way words could not accurately describe how he felt about his disconnection with anything regarding the Celestial Plain, words could not begin to detail what he felt for Sasuke and his presence.

* * *

_**~Kurama~**_

We were on the edge of our realm – a small distance from the edge of his personal pocket he called a home. When not in his realm or in my castle for meetings, private and communal, Arashi can always be found here. It was his self-designated area to raise and lower the moon and sun as his realm was a little too far from the edge to properly do it from there.

While the other spirits preferred to give Arashi his space, as his Consort I find no reason as to not spend as much time as the God will allow me. Even though he often ignored me and my ramblings of the day's topics and events, I like to pretend he enjoys my presence as much as I enjoy his.

He is taking his time with lowering the sun for the day. His hand motions were slow and deliberate, making sure the sun didn't set too fast or too slow. As per usual, Arashi would say nothing to me, preferring to drown his attentions in his work. Even still, Arashi has been acting strangely lately. His attention, while always divided between the Celestial Realm and that of the mortals, was now almost completely devoted to the mortals.

He no longer even pushed away my affections, merely nodding or ignoring them without effort. Arashi has never done that simply because I get into his skin deeper than he is willing to admit with just my presence.

I shook my head. No, he's done it before. He's done it quite often before now and they all usually had to do with the same being.

Naruto.

Sighing, I pulled myself up from my spot to stand next to him above his personal rift in the walls between our realm and the mortals. He ignored me, as I expected, but he will not continue to do so if I have anything to say about it. "Arashi."

There was a slight crease between his eyebrows, but it relaxed soon afterwards. Undeterred, I pressed myself to his back and whispered into his ear, "Wake up."

A shudder ran down his spine. He looked upwards with annoyance burning in his blue eyes and his arms lowered to a tense stance below his head. "For the love of the stars, will you leave me to my work?"

Inwardly, I was elated by us interacting after who knows how long. Unfortunately, it would be a negative conversation – as always. Regardless, I tried to lighten the mood by grinning slyly. "Oh, but, Arashi. You just looked so adorable with your face in that concentrated glare at the realm below."

He narrowed his eyes before stepping away from me and raising his arms again. "Leave."

My face twitched and the grin fell. It would seem I have to be firm. "I am afraid not, Arashi. You have been stressing yourself over your job and worrying to death over your son. Just because we are Gods does not mean we are completely invincible. You should know most of all, with Naruto-"

I was cut off by a violent punch to my cheek. My body was thrown back onto the ground, causing me to wince from the jagged edges of rock that were sticking up. I steadied myself up into a sitting position, glaring at Arashi who stared angrily back at me. "In all of the - why did you do that, Minato?!"

He bristled at being called his true name; he refused to be addressed as such by anyone. "Do not ever consider yourself as worthy enough to utter my name, Kyuubi! And do not ever think that you can understand what Naruto's loss means to me!"

I growled at the use of such a crude name. Yes, I do allow myself to be addressed as such, but never by him. Arashi, once realizing that he was acting out of control, quickly sobered up and turned his back on me, once more performing his duty as the Celestial God of the Sky. I picked myself up, holding my bruised cheek that was already healing. My crimson eyes looked over his tense back. He knew I was still here, but he would ignore me for as long as he could which wasn't for long. I was one of the two who could make him unwillingly lose his self-control. I knew it and he hated that.

Reluctantly, I started to leave this particular sector of the Celestial Realm for my own. Arashi needed time alone.

* * *

How's that guys?! :D

I know, I know, I started the drama like... early as fuck, but we did leave at a rather dramatic time. So basically what's happening is the whole 'everything is fine' feeling is starting to wear off of all the characters and reality is setting in. Some parts of this chapter were hard to re-write, especially Kurama's section. At the time when I first wrote this, I had no set rules for Kurama's characterization or what the Celestial Realm/Spirits were like or their customs.

Thank you guys for being so supportive with your reviews and favs~ Because of that Half Moon has over 6000 hits and this sequel is being made! Please support this sequel by doing what you did for the prequel! :,D

Bye~

_**~Kitsune-Ohime-Sama~**_


	2. Dawn

**Pairings:**

SasuNaru/ Magnet Shipping

Mentioned!ItaDei/Black &amp; White Shipping

KyuuMina/Seal Shipping

What I basically did was made it so that no more cut in half chapters exist. No more (pt1s) and the like. (thank fucking god - they're a bitch to stitch together)

I need to say straight up that the first version of this chapter had really wonky pacing and conversations. Dialogue was randomly pulled up and even though it was important exposition - it was exposition in a place where it wasn't needed. Some scenes were completely deleted because they just plain don't work. I hope you guys like the revised version.

To answer some questions, yes, Naruto is Kurama's son. How that is shall be revealed eventually~!

**Summary:**

The Half Moon Christmas Celebration is over and done with, but Orochimaru isn't. However, with Naruto struggling to regain his powers and fit in the modern world and the lack of communication from the Celestial Gods, Sasuke will need the help of the past to keep the world at peace and unknowing of the chaos that could descend upon it.

**Warnings: **Language, shounen-ai, flashbacks/dream sequences galore, understandable confusion can arise from crazy plot... that's about it, I think. Oh, and there's time intervals and season equivalents introduced. My spellcheck turned itself off so if there's any spelling errors, can you let me know? :/

One Moon = One Month

One Half Moon = About Eight Days

Passing Sun = Six Hours Have Passed (During the Day)

Passing Moon = Six Hours Have Passed (During the Night)

Frost Season = Winter

High Sun = Morning/Noon

Edited and Revised: _3/11/16_

* * *

_The air grows colder with each approaching night and the harvesting season will come to a close in less than a half moon. It was sheer luck that I have found shelter in time for the upcoming frost season. It was a small burrow that was hidden away by the trunk of large tree. It was home to many creatures already, so my presence was not too disturbing._

_With my bare hands, I had made the burrow bigger to enter and to store food in. My human scent was enough to keep the wilds away from it for a while, so if I came back from foraging in less than a passing sun, my stored food would be relatively undisturbed._

_I try to keep my stock of supplies high and overflowing. The frost season has never been something to joke about and now without your light, it would be even more dangerous. I will need more than just food. I will need better clothing than the rags I wear now._

_I sit before my make-shift home, watching the sun rise as if one was slowly carrying its weight as it climbed the high mountain that was the sky. Was it hard for Minato to rise the sun? Did it take a long while? All these questions only remind me of what I plan to do for the day; forage and hunt deer for their fur._

_I sighed. Things have never seemed so difficult before. They never seemed so bad because you were there._

_And now you are gone._

* * *

_Dawn_

* * *

_**~Sasuke's POV~**_

The next day, I find myself walking down the halls of the lodge, my hands hidden away in my pockets. I had spent a majority of the morning in the forest with Naruto. I had asked him about it this morning and the demigod seemed ecstatic to show me. Naruto's home dwellings were incredibly deep in the south western part of the forest - I wouldn't have been able to find it without Naruto guiding me. It was hidden under the roots of tree. I was honestly so surprised to see it - the tree was not just large, it was _grand_. It certainly wasn't the tallest tree, but it definitely was the largest when considering width.

Naruto had told me that the tree was specifically supported by Kyuubi's magic. Kyuubi is also Naruto's father (how in the world that even works what with Minato and Kyuubi both being male, I don't fucking know) - though, based off of Naruto's annoyed and sullen responses when it comes to the God, they don't have the best relationship. Nevertheless, the King of Gods had made sure that the tree could support being Naruto's home for several centuries - one of the few things the Celestial God of Earth has done for Naruto that actually to benefited him.

At seeing Naruto's slightly irritated expression as he said that, I couldn't help but feel a pang of familiarity. My own father sounds incredibly similar to Kyuubi - too caught up in the overall picture that he never if ever paid mind to what was in front of him. It is not to say that it's bad to look at the bigger picture - but you can't keep thinking of everything and anything because you'll barely get any work done on what really matters. The things _and people_ closest to you, the ones right in front of your face.

Not to mention, there's no fucking way you can justify trapping your kid in a realm incredibly different than his home indefinitely. There's no goddamn way to justify putting down your child because of their romantic and sexual orientation. No amount of "sorrys" and "protective magics" can justify or right the damage done.

To cheer him up (and myself up because of my downer thoughts), I managed to pull him into several climbing contests and chases through the woods before he gave me a gentle lick before leaving to help Konoha. I would've definitely told that cheeky asshole not to do that if he didn't have that warm smile that made me feel so happy at knowing that I had put that smile on his fa- brain stop talking. Now.

Now that Naruto was gone for the afternoon, my mind has been racing away, swamped with questions. Some innocent, some dark, and some that just refused to be answered.

How much time did I actually have left?

Did I draw everything that I wanted to draw?

Is mother okay?

What of Konoha? Will they open their doors anytime soon?

What about Orochimaru? Where is he? What exactly is that man planning?

Will the workers' who had left their home to earn money hard work be for nothing?

And Naruto... I groaned in frustration. What in the world will I do about him? I can't imagine that he would be very cheerful about my departure. He has hinged on his ability to work through not having his powers on me. No matter what trail I follow in my head, I can't see him coming to a peaceful understanding of me having to leave any time soon.

Why have I decided to take this walk through the green carpeted, wood paneled walls of this place? Because that's how I met that woman the first time.

When the freak storm had happened, almost all of Konohagakure natives that had left to raise money had immediately came back to help with repairs, Iruka and Kakashi included. I can understand why but damn! It wouldn't be so bad if Konoha was more willing to open its doors without needing Naruto by my side to appease their anger and wariness. It's inconvenient since they're my main source of folklore and it would be really helpful for me to understand this relationship between Kyuubi and Naruto. After all, it is Kyuubi's magic that's binding Naruto to Konoha. There must be something in his past that could help with this situation.

"Whoa, hold up there!" I stumbled, surprised by the sudden voice that interrupted my thoughts.

A small laugh hit my ears. "This is the second time we've met and it was us running into each other again."

My eyes was met with mid-back length pink hair, emerald eyes, and wide smile. Sakura. I didn't know her last name, but I did know that she was the Konohagakure native who had shed some light towards the drastic debt Konohagakure owes and had given me permission to enter the forest. Without her doing so, I probably wouldn't have have found and helped Naruto.

I nodded my head while shrugging, causing her to smile again before returning her attention to her cart of cleaning supplies. Like many of the natives of Konoha, she had gotten a job to help with the debt issue; she worked here at the lodge and I suspect others who didn't want to be too far from home also worked here. She turned around to push the cart and I walked beside her.

"So... I saw you in the crowd at the celebration." She said, an easy-going start to a conversation. We entered a dirty hotel room and Sakura immediately went for the massive dirty clothes pile. I stood awkwardly near her cart, unsure of whether to help or not.

I was glad that she had started the conversation. I didn't really know what to say or where to start. "Yeah. I saw you, too, as one of the dancers. You're really good."

Her face brightened. "Thanks! I've been practicing since I was fifteen to dance in the celebration. You're not allowed to participate in the official dance in front of the field until you pass the classes that you're supposed to enter. You also have to be over twenty, which I had just turned earlier last year." The more I hear about Konoha, the more I'm amazed at how organized they are. I felt my curiosity peek; I wanted to know more.

"Really? Do all of you have to take them?" She suddenly stopped and looked at me, slightly glaring. I didn't feel threatened because I could tell from the upwards quirk of her mouth that she was playing around.

"If you're going to ask me questions, you should help me out, you know!" I pushed the down the embarrassed blush before awkwardly walking over the pile and help her move the clothes into the movable hamper that cart contained. "And about the classes, no. It's really more of personal interest, but a lot of us want to take the class simply because you can learn some more acrobatic moves in the future."

She laughed a little at the last part, probably reminiscing over childhood memories before she paused, her expression now sad. "You know, we usually have everyone dancing. Even little kids who haven't even started to take the class join in. Everyone knows the steps and everyone wants to have a part in the celebration of Lord Naruto and the others. But... that celebration..."

Her voice trailed off until she became fully silent and absorbed by her work. After a while, she sighed and leaned her back against the cart, still looking at me. Taking this as a sign to relax, I leaned an arm on the cart as well.

"... Orochimaru... he called you Esuka." She whispered, more to herself than me despite the fact she was had her eyes locked with mine. Her expression was serious and thoughtful. She waited, as if wanting to hear my response. I said nothing.

"... If you really are Esuka's incarnation..." Sakura said a bit louder, then her voice trailed off. I continued to stare at her as her expression turned defeated, as if giving up on trying to figure me out on her own. "Lady Tsunade has been pouring all of the extra people who aren't rebuilding Konoha or out on our jobs into finding out more about that."

I hid a wince upon hearing the leader of the village's name. She had been absolutely furious when the confusion of the freak storm had began dissipate and she had time to focus on Naruto's shattered crystal. She had raised the security of Konohagakure by tenfold for the first week and demanded that all visitors leave immediately (Itachi and I were allowed to stay; Itachi because he had converted and it was well-known in the village, and me because Naruto refused to let me be treated as an outsider. It only worked with Shizune and Tsunade, everyone else didn't hold that trust or kindness). Visitors haven't been allowed in Konoha since then, despite the many demands of the outside cities and villages that she needs to open it back up. Tsunade has vehemently refused them before and hasn't backed down since then.

Sakura noticed my wince and tried to change the subject to something more comfortable. "So... how is Lord Naruto?"

I let a small frown cross my face. "He's... not really at his best..."

"Hm..." She hummed disapprovingly at the report, closing her eyes. "Maybe... a change of scenery would help? I mean, he can't possibly feel very happy about being stuck up here after all that's happened."

I looked at her, surprised. I didn't think she would think that Naruto might need to leave Konoha for a while. I thought that she would try to keep him as close as possible. When Sakura turned herself towards me, she raised an eyebrow at my face. "What?"

"I thought Kyuubi had made it so Naruto can't leave Konoha." I stammered. She looked taken aback before reaching out to me and poking me in the head.

"That's not it at all!"

"Wha-"

"_Lord_ Kyuubi," As most Konoha natives do, she stressed the 'lord' word, "Had made it so that Lord Naruto can't leave the mortal realm. There's nothing to keep Naruto from leaving Konoha; how did you even come to that conclusion?"

I frowned to myself; but wasn't that was Kyuubi wanted? Wouldn't it be easier to keep track of Naruto if he stayed secluded in one area? Not sure if I really wanted to get into an argument about that, I gave a very vague apology. "Sorry..."

Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "It's fine, I can imagine how you could've come to that mistake. So..." Her eyes took on a curious glint. "Are you planning on convincing Naruto to leave Konoha?"

"...Yes." It took a while, but I finally admitted it. She beamed.

"Awesome! This will be perfect. Tsunade has been looking for the perfect candidate, you know, and since you already know about Naruto and with you and him already being close, he'll definitely have fun learning about the world off the mountain and with Orochimaru slinking around, it'll be better if Naruto is away from where he expects him to be..." She began to ramble on.

My face didn't hold the same happiness. Sakura was a little slow to notice, but when she did, she turned to me slowly, her expression and voice questioning me. "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Before I could answer, she suddenly got in my face, grasping my shoulders and shaking my entire body back and forth. The woman had moved so fast that I haven't even noticed until she was there. "You don't like him or something? Tell me!"

"He-might-not-want-to -leave! This-is-his-home-isn't-it!?" I practically shouted in between shakes. I was very thankful when she stopped, looking surprised at my answer. Just as I had settled myself again, she spoke.

"... No. Konohagakure is not Lord Naruto's home."

I couldn't help but to gawk at her when I heard that. Are you serious? All this time that he's been here and this is not his home? He's been stuck on this mountain for how many goddamn years?

When I voiced those "concerns" to her, Sakura frowned and said, "You've been at this hotel for how long? Do you feel like it's your home?"

I blinked, not understanding what in the fucking hell she's getting at. "What does that have to do..." Mid-sentence, I realized that Sakura was making a comparison between me and Naruto.

I actually live in Otogakure, a rather long drive away from Konohagakure. We were supposed to stay here for a week, but we ended up staying here longer because of Mother's injury. While Konoha is interesting, I will not miss it when we leave because I liked it. I'm going to miss it because of Naruto.

Before, I wasn't thinking of it, but now I realize that Naruto's home _isn't _Konoha. It's the Celestial Realm.

The main reason Naruto is here is because Kyuubi had binded Naruto's existence to this realm. When Naruto had first been placed on Earth, specifically Konohagakure, he had believed he could do right for it by protecting it. Other than being Konoha's guardian deity and one of their gods, Naruto himself has no actual ties to the village. Especially so if Sakura was really right when she said that Kyuubi didn't bind Naruto to Konohagakure (I'm still a little confused on that).

"... but even still, he won't leave. He wants to protect all of you, doesn't he? Even if this is not his home, it's still important to him. If I were to ask him, would he be able to leave?" At that, Sakura became quiet. Her face went through several phases of confused and thoughtful expressions as she tried to come up with a response. I stood there watching her. Though I looked slightly concerned on the outside, inside I was very anxious about the answer.

What if Naruto didn't want to leave because of his duties? I can't see Naruto turning his back on whatever he sets his mind to, even if I was to ask him to leave with me. When the time comes, Naruto will have to make a decision. Knowing that is the easy part. The hard part is trying to figure out - whether or not I can accept said decision.

I was forced out of my thoughts when Sakura sighed and said with a tired expression, "The only one who can really that for sure is Lord Naruto."

I was afraid she'd say that.

* * *

After she had said that, I felt the urge to go back to my hotel room. It was getting late and I wanted to see Naruto again. I wanted to pretend that he and I were stay the way we are for just a few more moments - that he and I can spend our time together freely without an oppressive time limit hanging above our heads. Sakura only nodded in affirmation when I told her I was going back to my room. Her expression was pitying. It took a lot of self-control to not snap at her for it.

Instead, I turned on my heel and headed back. Back in our hotel suite, I passed by my mother who was sitting in the living room. Her complexion was much more healthy than her sickly pale from over the last week. Her face wasn't as pallid and her eyes were filled with vitality.

She smiled upon seeing me enter the room. "Good afternoon, Sasuke. How are you?"

I shrugged. I'm not really sure what exactly to feel after all of this thinking, but if I told her that, she'd surely try to her best to find out what happened. She didn't need to know, at least for now. So, I lied. "Fine. Though, I believe I'm the one who should be asking. Are you okay?"

Her smile grew wider. "Yep! Much better than before, which is such a relief."

As she said this, I couldn't help but feel horrible about the thought that circled my head: then, why don't I feel relieved...?

Feeling even more weighed down by such nasty thoughts, I gave her a peck on the cheek and soft 'good night'. I headed back towards my room and kicked off my shoes before lying in bed, staring at the quarter moon that taunted me from its position in the dark blue sky.

According to Konoha legend, everything about the sky - the sun; the moon; the weather; even cloud patterns, are determined by Naruto's father, Minato.

My lips pulled down into a thoughtful frown almost instinctively. The Celestial God of the Sky is... an odd existence. I've met him before and let me say, meeting the father of your crush-sort-of-maybe-potential-boyfriend after getting angry over a name and then making him cry while simultaneously feeling like crying _can't_ be the start of a good relationship (especially since my first reaction was to _glare at Minato_ \- you're more than allowed to think of me as crazy). However, even without us meeting, he is still kind of odd.

My knowledge of Minato is pretty basic. Most of what I know came from the official site about Konoha's legends and Naruto himself. The official site had said that Minato was born a human and then turned into a God through Kyuubi's powers. According to Naruto, that in itself is rare. Most Celestial Spirits were born from the elements themselves at least until Konoha was formed. Leaders of the village became Celestial Spirits upon death if their actions and rule had led Konoha with justice and faith. However, Minato was from a time before Konoha's formation.

I wonder what was so special about Minato that Kyuubi used his powers to Minato into a God?

... And how in the world did they create Naruto!?

Naruto had once described Minato to me as "overly passionate and cold". Confused, I had asked him about such a strange, contradicting phrase to which the blond had shrugged his shoulders. I remember scowling at him and pinching his right ear, to which he tackled me to the ground and playfully nipped my nose (and of course we continued this play fight - and I totally won). Thinking about it now, I assume that only by spending time with Minato would allow me to understand what he meant.

Speaking of which, didn't both the site and Naruto say Minato hates the mortal realm? I'm not exactly sure why he hates it but it's the reason as to why he sends such startling natural storms to the mortal realm. When I had asked Naruto, he had merely said "mortals are not as nice as Sasuke".

... speaking of which... where is Naruto? My mind asked, but it never went beyond the question because soon after that thought, I had fallen asleep.

* * *

_I sneezed again for the fifth time since we entered the City Hall. Naruto whimpered a little and began to rub his nose against my right cheek. His one and only remaining tail wrapped around my leg. It was a remorseful whine, one that sounded like he wished he could heat me up, but couldn't. Wincing, remembering how that must be a sore spot for him, I used my arms to bring him closer to me so I could draw from his natural body heat, even though there was next to nothing of it. It didn't stop me from pulling him close to my own body._

_After most of the population of Konoha was either leading outsiders out or safely tucked away in their homes, Tsunade, soaked to the bone, had come back to the stage, shocked that we were still here. While Minato refused to let rain fall upon his son (and in extension, Itachi and I since we were with Naruto) in his furious thunderstorm of a tantrum, the harsh wind had swirled around us. It almost seemed like it was trying to snuff out our warmth as a small breath to a candle flame would._

_We had all ran for cover in her office where she had quickly told us to take off objects such as jackets and shoes and leave by the front door. Tsunade then passed around blankets and had left a while ago to the kitchen to make something warm for all of us to eat. The storm had knocked off all the lights, so we had to go by candle light. Apparently, it was quite common for power to go out since Tsunade's storage of matches and candles was very large and she handled them with expertise._

_The room was spacious enough to hold several people. It had pale cream walls and red carpet. The shape of the room was a rectangle with Tsunade's desk being pushed to the side to make room for us. Itachi and Shizune took the space in which the desk would normally be, in the middle of the room and directly between the large window in the back of the room and the door leading to the outside. In a corner of the front part of the room were two, gray metal cabinets that were just a head shorter than me. Across from it in another corner was a flag stand with a flag. I couldn't see it very well since it was wrinkled and the room was mostly dark, but I could make out a green leaf from it. Kurenai, Naruto, Konohamaru, and I took one of the back corners, leaving one empty and bare._

_The window gave a clear view of the outside, chaos._

_People were still running around like chickens that have had their heads cut off. The clouds overhead were dark and threatening. Blue lighting flashed between them on occasion before striking the ground or trees with precision at those who didn't move with purpose. They weren't... exactly hurt... too much, but they definitely did start moving after having the literal shock of their lives._

_We weren't the only ones in the room. Shizune and three others had made it in when the weather started to turn for the worse. One was a pale woman with black hair and red eyes. She introduced us to her small baby girl named Azu. The other person, Konohamaru, a scruffy brunet boy with dark brown eyes, told us that Azu was his cousin and that he was to protect her and his aunt while his uncle helped evacuate outsiders. They had all welcomed us and had bowed their head in respect towards Naruto when he smiled at them._

_Now, Naruto was avidly listening to Konohamaru describe a misadventure he had with his friends when he tried to fish in the lake, but ended up catching a tree branch which fell on his uncle's car. The occasional laugh would rise from him while he cuddled up to my right side; these small laughs brought an excitable grin to the boy's face. I idly listened to the tale, not really too interested in it. Itachi was sitting next to Shizune who was trying to set up a peace circle in order to calm the Minato's raging anger. He listened very well to her instructions on where to place a candle and what colors worked best for the circle. Kurenai watched us all, a soft smile on her face. She couldn't do much of anything since she was trying to put Azu to sleep._

_"So like, Moegi was saying that we shouldn't be using the fishing pole because it was so much bigger than us. Udon and I called her a chicken, like "Baw, baw, bakaw!" The boy stood up and began to strut, imitating a chicken as he said the noises. Kurenai rolled her eyes at his antics while Naruto let out a series of barks that sounded suspiciously like laughing. They themselves elicited a few giggles and a smirk from Shizune and Itachi, respectively._

_"Keh, hah, he-" Naruto's ears suddenly perked and he was immediately at attention. His blue eyes glared holes at the window behind Tsunade's desk, a low rumbling could be heard from his chest. The reaction of everyone was instantaneous, including my own. When he tried to rise, I brought Naruto down and hid his smaller body from the view of the window with my own. He immediately struggled._

_"No. Let go-"_

_"Hush." I whispered into his ear. He turned is head to glare at me and didn't stop growling, but he did stop fighting against my hold. Konohamaru raced over to Kurenai and stood in front of her and Azu, a wall that wavered here and there, but refused to back down because of fear. Shizune had stumbled backwards in surprise while Itachi cautiously moved towards the window._

_When he was right in front of it, a man suddenly jumped up into plain view with a wild expression and desperate eyes. Konohamaru squeaked and fell backwards making Kurenai hastily move out the way before putting a hand on his shoulder. Naruto growled louder. I had to double my efforts to keep him down._

_Itachi stared at the man, the rare bewildered expression on his face as the man began to pound his fists on the window, frantic to get in. Just as Itachi moved to open the window, a blue streak of lightning hit right behind the man, sending off electric blue sparks that caused the man to scream loudly and run away into the blind chaos that reigned behind him._

* * *

_**~Naruto's POV~**_

The cold ground underneath his transformed feet seemed almost unrecognizable. Just how long has it been since he's roamed the land in this form? A long while, one moon, at least.

He stopped in front of a tree and rubbed his left side against it, shivering. Without his power of heat, his skin had become cold to human touch. While he wouldn't get sick or freeze in the experience of severe cold, he would definitely be slowed down and less aware of his surroundings.

His black nose twitched at the crisp, frost season wind. The golden fur he possessed did little to keep him warm. It never fully developed due to his internal heating, something that was working against him at the moment. Growling lowly at the memory of losing his powers, he lowered himself to sit on the ground. He tried to ignore the stinging cold of the white powder as he did so.

Konoha's rebuilding was almost done. A part of him was worryingly horrified by that.

It was not that He wanted Konoha to continue hurting. He was glad that life was slowly returning to normal in the village. What horrified him was what would come next after reconstruction was completed.

What was he going to do? Kyuubi had placed him in this realm to protect - what could he protect without his powers?

Saddened by his own thoughts, He got up gingerly in mind of his left leg. While a majority of the pain was gone, negative feelings seemed to spark phantom pains. He would not put it past that damned snake to have cursed his poison. Orochimaru was clever if not petty. Sighing as the pain slowly grew strong, he started to make his way to his burrow. If his train of thought was going to continue on the dark road, then he had better find shelter. He doubted he would make it to the portal to Sasuke's den with his leg screaming in pain. Droop in ears. Sadness. He was not going to be sleeping next to Sasuke tonight.

Even when he was absent, Orochimaru was hurting him and those he cared about.

He paused for a moment, thinking of that man and what he has done in this lifetime. It had started slow - the disappearances of the woodland animals that is.

He hadn't been sure what to make of it at first. Similar occurrences had happened, but it had only been a new predator or food source for prey was running out. He assumed that as time passed, the new predator's presence would slowly be assimilated to the natural food web. He stopped passing it off as such when said disappearances were not only on-going for three years, but moving closer and closer to his burrow.

As much as he did not hold high regards for his father - Kyuubi had made well and sure that his den and surrounding hunting grounds would remain inconspicuous to both humans and animals if they didn't know the way to it. If one was to come close too his home, the Celestial God of the Earth's magic would have messed with their memory and put them in a trance to walk towards the village instead. To have a presence come so close to his home was shocking.

It was now that Naruto had managed to reach his den, albeit his leg's pain was now attacking his head. He was dizzy but he could not stop thinking. Without his consent, the memories of that horrible time have flooded his mind. They will not leave. They will not surrender control. They have taken over his thoughts.

Sleep. He needed to sleep. If he slept - then he could forget this all over again in the throes of rest. He quickly entered his burrow and moved to settle down to sleep. Even then, the memories did not leave.

It got worse when he started to find ruined corpses of the animals that had gone missing circled around his territory. He had not simply been afraid - he was absolutely frightened. He remembered being too scared to leave his burrow. He refused to hunt or drink in fear of poison, kidnapping, or finding the perpetrator. He could not get those images of the dead bodies of animals he conversed with when lonely - cut open too cleanly to be a hunting animal and laid too neatly along the line of his borders to simply be a coincidence. Memories of his first kidnapping were warped with illusions of him being cut open just like those corpses.

It had taken both of his fathers' encouragement and worried prodding to get him to seek help from the village under the guise of the forest requesting his help to get nourishment and actual sleep rather than sporadic naps with horrific nightmares.

Shivers. Cold. Scared. Sleepy.

Shaking and curled up in the corner farthest from the entrance, Naruto fell asleep.

* * *

_The scarcely decorated sitting room of the four-room cottage he and his Papa lived in was full of hurtful remarks and angry shouting. He was hiding behind a wall next to a stone archway that connected the sitting room to the hallway. The argument was one he had heard many times before but each time he heard it, the more he grew scared._

_His Papa was not one to anger, but then, neither was Lord Kurama. Both had volatile tempers; it wouldn't be long before they had a fight using their powers and not their words. He feared for that part._

_"Minato, you must do as you are told for-" Kurama, fully clothed in flowing white robes, tried to reason with a scowling Minato whose arms were crossed. He also wore white robes similar to Kurama._

_"I will do what I want, Kurama! I am not the fragile, 'eager to please' lover you and those pitiful wenches of yours like to think I am. If I say that I refuse to give into your demands, then I will." Minato then turned towards the archway that Naruto was hiding behind. Kurama's crimson eyes flashed angrily before he reached out and snatched Minato's left wrist, forcing the other to stop and turn to glare. Kurama met the glare with a fiercer one and tightened his grip on the blond's wrist. In response, Minato hid a wince._

_"I will say this once and you would do well to listen." Minato said nothing, opting to narrow his eyes. "When not with you, Naruto is nothing less than destructive and disrespectful of his elders. All of the Spirits are calling for his end, but I have persuaded them with another plan - one that solves two issues at once. If you wish for Naruto's well being then you would do well to accept this!__"_

_"I will accept none of it!" Growling, Minato snatched his hand back and turned his back towards Kurama who was now looking at the marked wrist that Minato bore. Naruto could finally see his Papa's eyes which were spiteful towards the entire conversation. They were as stormy as the terrible, raging storms of heavy winds and rain that his Papa would occasionally send to the land dominated by mortals. However, above it all, they were full of sadness. "You all declare that Naruto is disrupting your work - but none consider the reason. Perhaps if the Spirits had better attitudes, Naruto would feel no reason to act as such, but alas, we have come to this point and everyone would rather point fingers at the younger of us."_

_Kurama tried to grab Minato once more but the other walked further away._

_"Leave my residence. Your pilfering stench is one I do not want in my home, Kyuubi."_

_Kurama's face was blank, but his eyes told another story full of regret and reluctance. After a while, Kurama finally bowed. "As you wish... Arashi."_

_With a flash of bright light, Kurama was gone. Minato's stern face softened and his gaze flitted to the archway. "You can come out now, Naruto. He is gone."_

_Without a moment's hesitation, Naruto had come out from his hiding place and jumped into open arms that his Papa offered. Minato's hold was tight and with each step that he took, it grew close to nearly suffocating Naruto. Nonetheless, he held on, his own hold on his Papa growing tighter as well until they reached the room they shared together. Minato sat down and reluctantly pulled away from the tight hug between them. He stared into the blue eyes that tried to contain light, but only seemed to be a gateway to a growing darkness._

_A soft touch was combing through his hair. He leaned into it for the comfort it promised. He almost did not hear his Papa's words. "I am sorry for this... no, more than sorry. I am in a despair, Naruto. I do not want you to leave me - death or separation, but everyone else would rather your very existence gone." _

_Hearing that made Naruto's expression fall. "I... I did not mean to make trouble for Papa..."_

_Suddenly, his chin was grabbed and gently pulled up so that his eyes met with Minato's softened ones. "Do not ever think for a moment that I do not love you or that you trouble me. Your happiness means the most to me for it is only when you are happy can I find it within myself to see a light I had thought had been extinguished a long time ago._

_"You are my hope, Naruto."_

* * *

He suddenly woke up, his blue eyes squinting from the sunlight that poured into the small burrow. Wait. His ears flicked in panic as he pushed himself up from the dusty ground and ran out of the burrow. High sun already?! Sasuke must be worried!

Upon pulling himself into the white powder that humans called 'snow', he noted with relief that it was early dawn. Not all the stars have been lowered from their places in the sky. The sky had been painted blue, purple, red, bright pink, orange, and yellow by water. The trees above his head had spiky leaves and branches that were heavy with white snow and ice that caught the light of the slowly rising sun and reflected it off itself. Long shadows created by pine trees crawled over the white covered crown and were almost threatening if not for the bright light that separated the shadows from each other.

He almost lost himself in the view of dawn, if not for a strange tugging at his foreleg. He blinked and gave his leg a few licks. It appeared to be a spell that tethered him and the caster. It felt like he was being led somewhere - like a summoning. Curious. Concern.

Should he? Sasuke was probably worried. He has not returned the night before. The pain in his back leg, now gone, thank the stars, had kept him away, but now a magical tether was leading him farther from Sasuke.

Maybe... maybe if he made it fast? If whatever was at the other end seemed dangerous, he would turn back and run to Sasuke's cave. Yes. That was a good plan.

He shook the sleep that remained off of him and began to run after the invisible rope that led him to, strangely enough, Konoha. As he ran, he briefly wondered about the dream he had. He knew it was a memory of long ago, but he wasn't sure why had dreamt of it. It did point to something important; Naruto was sure of that.

All thoughts of the dream were forgotten upon stepping paw into the nearly empty streets of Konoha. The small amount of people barely made noise as they started to file out of their east-facing homes into the dirt streets. Naruto would have slowed his pace so he could relish in the peacefulness of his people, but the tug was getting stronger. He ran quickly through the streets, his paws making audible taps on the ground.

He diligently followed the tug until he was in front of the door of a small cave with many portals with shields of fabric to hide the contents. Confused, he sniffed the door. Was this it? Skeptically, he scratched at it. A little while after, he heard hasty footsteps towards the door.

When the door suddenly opened to reveal a fully-clothed Tsunade, he jumped back a couple of feet in surprise. She, in return, didn't look surprised at all. Actually, she looked a bit tired. Tsunade gestured for him to enter. Once over his initial surprise, he quickly ran in, transforming back to his mortal form. He felt Tsunade's eyes scan over him briefly before she hmped and walked deeper into the cave. Naruto took this time to look around.

It was a cozy and spacious room, much like E-Sasuke's room, only without the large 'bed'. Instead, it had lumpy looking places to sit that circled around a raised wooden platform. The walls were painted a pale green and the floors were a dark wood. They were shined like water, considering he could see himself on the floor.

Tsunade came back, this time with a tray of food and drinks, and placed it on the table before settling down. She looked at him with an eyebrow raised before he realized that she was inviting him for the early meal and went over to take a place across from her. Almost instantly, a plate with mostly fruits and a bit of raw meat was placed in front of him. Naruto stared at Tsunade who hmped again.

"Just because you act like a carnivore doesn't mean that you actually are one. Like it or not, you're an omnivore and I'm going to feed you like one, brat." His ears flattened upon hearing that nickname.

"Not a brat, Tsunade..." She didn't look impressed.

"If you're really not a brat, then stop acting like one." He was about to comment, but she continued on without prompting. "Honestly, I should expect this considering how your father is. Headstrong little fucker, Minato is. He barged into my dream last night, yelling about how I needed to talk to you and make sure you were alrigh-"

"Papa?!" Naruto straightened up immediately at the mention of his Papa. He paid no mind to the insults and annoyed remarks; Tsunade was always calling the Celestial Gods and Goddesses idiots despite being their representative on Earth. They rarely harped on her for it, even when she was young. Tsunade was a favorite of theirs. Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Minato had awoken me early last night so I could tell you a message from him. I spent the entire morning using a summoning spell to lead you here." She pegged him down with a harsh glare, growling the her next words through clenched teeth. "Thanks for coming right away."

"Ehehe... He is very sorry?" Naruto apologized, allowing a sheepish grin to take over his face.

Tsunade huffed before taking a sip from her cup. "Yeah right."

There was a moment of comfortable silence between them that was mostly spent eating their food. The soft clinking of shiny tools for eating (usually by Tsunade) caused his ear to twitch every now and then. With each passing minute, the sun would rise a little more and more light would pour into the room.

"... I think you should leave the mountain." Tsunade said this with ease, not showing much concern over it. He, however, was surprised. What had brought this on?

"... He told me last night that he wants you away from Konoha and I agree. With your presence confirmed here, Orochimaru has an easy target on you. And with your powers gone for the time being..." He looked up at the mention of his absent powers, only to meet Tsunade's serious amber eyes. "It's better for your safety and the safety of the villagers that you leave."

Naruto kept the stare up for a while longer before they dropped down to the wooden table. "... But what about Kyuubi? Kyuui commanded He never leaves."

"Minato said he'll take care of it." Tsunade gave a nonchalant shrug, but her body was stiff. She was wary of the consequences of going directly against the King of the Celestial Realms' demands. He did not fault her - he feared Kyuubi's wrath upon finding out of his disappearance. Even if Papa was to go head-to-head against Kyuubi, there was only so much he could do. He worried for his Papa.

"Do Tsunade think it will work?"

Tsunade snorted. "Hell if I know. All I know is that we should expect some stormy weather the next couple days."

"... Yeah... He guesses so?"

"Fucking learn how to say 'I' already, damn it." He stuck his tongue out at her. What is this... 'I'?

He saw her roll her eyes, but not say anything about it as she seemed more interested in another topic. "How do you feel about Sasuke?"

"Eh!?" The inquiry had come out of the woods without much prompting. He was suddenly thrown into a situation he didn't feel comfortable with. His feelings... about Sasuke?

"Don't think I've noticed. It's rare that I see you away from him lately and when you are, you work so quickly that I can't help but think it's so you can go back to him. Not to mention that during the times that do I see you together, you're either staring at him with such warmth or hanging off of him," With each word, He could feel his cheeks heat up more and more. Was it _that_ obvious?

"Let's not even get started with Sasuke, himself. He accepts your touches without a word and is usually holding you so tightly that I believe he thinks of you as a treasure he can't let go. When I saw him in the office that day, he looked so bored and uninterested at what we were talking about. It was only after you came in that his eyes gained clarity. A clarity that can only be described as affection."

Huh? He stared at her with confusion. Sasuke was affectionate towards him? He had never noticed. He thought that Sasuke was just being nice... though he would not mind if it was actually Sasuke having affections for him.

"...You two are hopeless." Tsunade said before downing the rest of her cup. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as He thinks about this new revelation. Did Sasuke like him?

* * *

_**~Sasuke's POV~**_

The sound and movement of something crashing onto my bed woke me up from sleep. I instantly sat up, eyes wide and breathing heavily when I noticed Naruto groaning weakly from his strange, head-on-bed-feet-hanging-in-air position against the window and wall. I watched as his eyes flitted towards me before he quickly sat upright on his knees. His face was serious and his blue eyes seemed to glow with determination. Almost immediately, I felt myself being drawn in. I was drowning in a color known as sky blue and I never wanted to leave.

"-ke? Sasuke? Is Sasuke fine? Is he ill? Does he need He to fetch him a herb or water or-" I finally shook myself out of my reverie to interrupt Naruto's rapidly spoken, worried ramble. I did this by reaching out to grasp his right shoulder with my right hand.

"Naruto, I'm fine. I don't need a herb or... water." He stared at me, unconvinced, but nodded nonetheless. Naruto leaned his head towards my hand, growling lowly as he rubbed his head against my skin. As he did so, I felt my cheeks heat up. What the hell? Why is this affecting me so damn much? It must be those teenage hormones that Suigetsu would complain about when talking about Karin. Yeah, that's it. I swallowed hard when Naruto crawled forward to lean against my chest, unknowing of the damned blush that I was trying to beat down.

Hormones. Just. Hormones. I swear.

Just then, Naruto lifted his head to whisper into my ear, "... He was thinking about Sasuke..."

I bit my tongue to prevent the gasp I felt arise from feeling Naruto's cool breath on my heated ear. HORMONES. IT'S ALL **HORMONES**.

"You have?" I managed to strangle out of my throat without stuttering because Naruto was still breathing lightly on my left ear. It was slowly becoming a... eh... problem, to say the least.

Naruto placed his head on my shoulder, the damn bastard. "Yes. About... last night. He... uh... I?"

He lifted himself from my shoulder (thank fucking GOD) to look at me. His face held uncertainty as he tripped over unfamiliar words. I smiled softly and nodded which made him grin brightly... and put his head back on my shoulder (damn it).

"I... leg hurt bad. Could not get back. Stayed in old tree," So that's where Naruto has been? And 'leg hurt'? He must've aggravated his injury. That at least explains why didn't come last night. I glanced over to my clock. 9:56 in the morning.

Even if Naruto stayed out late, he's been waking up terribly early lately (I think it's out of stress...). He should've been back by eight at least. When I voiced that, he frowned a little against my shoulder. "H... I went to the village. Tsunade there. She speaks with Papa and Lord Kurama and everyone since she leader. Papa had visited her dreams. Left a message for... I?"

"Me." I corrected absently. I felt him frown into my skin. My arms wound themselves around him and pulled him closer and the frown became less prominent on my skin. "... What did he say?"

Naruto was silent for a moment, as if he was debating what to say. After a couple minutes, he said, "That I should leave Konoha."

After he said that, he went quiet again. Probably for the best as my mind went into a total blank.

Naruto just told me that Minato believed that Naruto should leave. Did I hear that right? I totally heard that right. If I didn't hear that right, I'll jump out the window. You know what, I'm in such shock that I'll just do that right now - holy fuck. No not happening. Totally forgot that I have a demigod hanging on to my torso. Never mind.

Forgot that weird train of thought, guys.

Jut in time, because Naruto just said something I had been too preoccupied with my thoughts to hear. I shook his shoulder. "What?"

Naruto didn't say anything so I shook him again. This time, he let out a huge sigh and pulled himself up to look into my eyes. "... Sasuke leave soon. Sasuke's home somewhere else."

Swallowing thickly, I nodded. "Yeah. I live in Otogaure. It's off the mountain completely."

"How far?" I took a deep breath as Naruto took my hand into mine.

"About six hours away with a car... " When I remembered that the word 'car' might not stick with his mental image, I quickly reverberated with. "Th-those metal monsters. You know."

He shook his head in affirmation and then looked at me with a bright, yet tired simper on his face. My own lips curled into a soft grin at finally seeing a genuine smile on his face... at least until he leaned forward to press his lips against mine- wait, what?!

It wasn't a forceful kiss. It was rather that his lips were gently pushing against mine; he was not trying to goad on a deeper kiss. It lasted a couple more seconds before he slowly pulled away and hid his face on my neck. "I want to go with Sasuke."

"A-" I tried to speak, but forming words was hard after _just being kissed, what the fuck, did he just say he wanted to go with me, everything is right in the world, **what**_!?

I swallowed hard and tried to get my thoughts together before grabbing Naruto and pulling him off of me to look at his face. He turned his head away, preferring to look at his hands which he had placed on his knees. His cheeks were dusted with bright pink as he flustered through apologies. "H-he is sorry if he startled you! He did not ask, was wrong! He is sorr-"

I swallowed again before reaching for his face and turned it back to mine. Instantly, his mouth fell shut. His eyes darted away from my face and I felt a soft sigh leave my lips. I placed my right hand on his. "Hey... look at me."

Naruto resisted for a moment, before his eyes finally settled on mine. When they did, they widened a little, most likely because of the small smile that played on my lips. "What are you apologizing for?"

Almost instantly, he opened his mouth answer, but I took the opportunity to seal our lips together. He didn't move, mostly out of shock, for a while before he slowly melted into the kiss and pushed against me. Somehow, my hands got tangled in with his hair as I drew him closer, deepening the kiss even further. I wasn't the only culprit of wanting more intimate touch since he wrapped his own arms around my neck, all the while keeping our lips connected.

?!

What the hell?!

I tore away from Naruto to press a couple of fingers to my bottom lip. He just fucking _bit_ me! I turned to him and growled out, "What was that for?"

Naruto, who had been breathing deeply, only sniffed. I could easily tell from the mirth in his eyes that he was laughing inside. "He couldn't breathe."

"There are other ways to break a kiss rather than bite my lip!" I angrily muttered through clenched teeth. He just flashed me a smile.

"Perhaps. However, not all of them would have worked as well as this method. He shall keep it." I stared at him in horror. He did not-!

"No! You can't _keep_ a method like that!" He only laughed lightly before he nuzzled his nose with mine and laying his head on my shoulder once more. I inwardly huffed indignantly. He's lucky that the bite itself wasn't painful as much as it was surprising or else I'd kick him straight out of this bed.

"...He really wants to go with Sasuke wherever he goes... can he?"

I'm totally not blushing red (yes I am) nor am I getting totally sentimental (yes I am), but I couldn't help but circle my arms around him and pull him closer to me. "Yeah. I want to you to come with me too."

Briefly, I felt him smile into my shoulder. Then it was gone as he slowly slid off of me to lie down on the bed. I paid him no mind at first, easily standing up to get ready

... Don't tell me he just went to sleep. A quick look told me that this dumbfuck actually did. Mentally groaning at the prospect of having to wake him up in an hour or so to get him ready to leave. Thinking about leaving Konoha later on today, I sighed for what seemed to be the millionth time that morning upon realizing there was quite a big issue became present in my mind. How exactly was I going to sneak him into the car...?

* * *

_**~Kurama's POV~**_

The Celestial Realm is a vast one.

There are numerous Spirits - all with a certain domain or power they can call their own if not part of a court that serves under a leader. From Elder Hiruzen who reigned as the God of History and his court of time keepers and event recorders to Lady Suzumebachi, Goddess of Wrath and her court filled with messenger Spirits, there is truly a place for all those who are sanctioned within the confines of the Celestial Realm.

I sigh inaudibly when I re-think that thought. Perhaps not all... I have a court of my own, fitting as I am King - the leaders of all the courts as well as my Consort, Arashi, and my... son. Without meaning to, I sigh again a lot louder than before. Luckily, it would appear no one has noticed my rampant sighing.

I was in the Hall of Affairs for a weekly meeting. In a large, circular room, most of the leaders and their courts come to speak and gossip over the news in each other's realm or what this foolish underling had done or the latest war those silly mortals have started. Those who's powers and roles need them else where, often come later when everyone is sharing stories of their day. It is a time of amiability and socialization. Normally, I would join them, but today I have decided on a different activity. Atop of my throne that stood above the rest, I performed my favorite past time- Arashi watching. He sat next to me (despite many attempts to leave this position), only a foot lower than mine, and stared over the other talking Celestial Spirits with a tender smile. I felt slightly jealous. Even though he cannot stand them half the time, he would rather share such warmth with those he dislikes than his own Consort.

I snorted and turned away, absently noticing the neutral glance Arashi had sent me before replying to a question from Tonbo, God of Judgment. He was one of the few Gods that Arashi seemed to be friendly with on a regular basis - but only after Tonbo had practically begged him into their strange friendship.

All the way from the start, it seemed that Tonbo figured he and Arashi were to be good friends and perhaps it is because of his queer fascination with the mortals. For a millennia, I had watched Tonbo ask eagerly of Arashi's life as a human. I had often stepped in as the subject of Arashi's mortal life was a sore topic. Tonbo eventually learned that and resigned to less invasive questions. My Consort had opened up to him quite easily after that, to my annoyance.

Not for the last time, I wondered how we have come to this horrid situation with each other.

From the beginning, Arashi had been very connected to a world beyond the one of mortals. That had been what caught my attention. It was who he was as a person and his tragic story that had led me to calling his soul to my side. Even now, as he spurns my affections and glances, he still draws my eye.

I used to be certain that he returned my sentiments, at least a little, but now I know better. Minato does not care for me in such a way - not since Naruto's binding to the mortal realm.

Once more, I sigh. This time, Arashi actually turns to me to say, "You are sighing often. Is something causing a stir in your thoughts?"

For a moment, I searched his eyes for any of that warmth that I crave from him. It is unfortunate that I am not surprised to see none. He is merely acting this way most likely because it's expected of him. "There is always a stir - whether it be solving Lord Shukaku's incessant cursing of the mortals or curing young Tsunade's of her need to disregard proper manners and respect when addressing us."

Lord Tonbo, overhearing my statement let out a loud whoop in laughter. Arashi, however, offered me a wry, but desolate smile. "It is near impossible to stop the Lord of Bad Luck from spreading his chaos and the young are always going to rebel."

Tonbo continued his rioting laughter at Arashi's comment, eliciting those in earshot to fall into amusement as well. From some space away, I could see Lady Matatabi, Goddess of Luck, scowl greatly at the mention of her opposite. It was of great enjoyment between us to poke fun at the relationship between the two because of their conflicting abilities and personalities.

Shukaku was carefree, wildly so. He cursed mortals and Spirits alike with his spells and happily fed off the miserable moods spawned from his hellish tricks. Matatabi, who fed on the joy of accomplishments, fought him on a regular basis to get any sort of fulfillment. She blessed whoever she pleased with her incredible endearments - making sure that the blessed person would feed her for years to come. Both of them craved a sense of fulfillment based on the feelings of the mortals and often clashed because of it. For those of us who did not have to suffer such a fate, it brought on jeering and laughter. Those who did often gave emphatic glances or glares to their own opposites.

"Your majesty!" Suddenly, I was snapped out of my thoughts when Anko, a Celestial Spirit who served under Lady Suzumebachi, appeared before us in a flash of fire. Her sudden appearance caused the large hall filled with Celestial Spirits to quiet down almost immediately. She bowed to us quickly before shouting in a frantic manner, "Lord Kurama, Lord Naruto has left Konohagakure!"

The echoes of that outcry bounced off the walls of the hall for a mere second before all was broken in a rage of hasty and desperate talking. Voices demanded to be heard over each other while eyes turned to me in fear and in search of answers. I sat there on my throne, dumbfounded. Naruto... had left Konohagakure!? Why in the beloved stars above would he do that?!

"Lord Kurama!" I turned my head a little to see the aged and worry-stricken face of Hiruzen, the elder who had once governed Konohagakure. "What is the meaning of this?!"

I found myself unable to do much else but stare at his face with widened eyes. I was too in shock to be able to answer Hiruzen's question. That could not be right. It simply could not! I am absolutely in disbelief that Naruto would do such a thing! He must know what happens if he dares to leave Konohagakure! Arashi should have drilled that into him before he-

"Yes Kyuubi." A voice that was deeply laced with barely concealed anger and worry met my ears. I slowly turned to meet the blank face of my Consort as his next words came out as cold as ice. "What _is_ the meaning of this? Where is my son?"

Fear washed over me like an ice cold waterfall as Arashi's expression turned colder and colder. If possible, his eyes... his eyes were warm.

I blinked, unsure if I was just seeing things, but I wasn't. Arashi may be good at hiding his emotions before everyone else, but I have always been the key to unlock the high security door that hid his feelings. That was why I can always tell when Arashi is being genuine when interacting with me or not, why I can always tell when it is best to leave him alone or to stay by him when he direly needs the company.

In Arashi's eyes, I could see the well-concealed pride that came from trickery, one that I commonly see when the God has the confidence to rebel (which was common, but never to this magnitude). Anger seared through my form as I narrowed my eyes; the little wench had dared to go against me well knowing the consequences.

His blue eyes widened the smallest of slights upon my own narrowing, before he clenched his teeth and turned away to face everyone else, obviously cursing himself for giving away his true motives. Good.

I turned back to the rest of the occupants who stared at us in confusion of our small moment. I cleared my throat once before declaring, "We must find Naruto and return him to Konohagakure immediately. All Celestials currently not here are to be warned of this development and those of lesser status are to go to the Mortal Realm and search for him. It does not matter the method he is returned in; bribery, kidnapping, or other means as long as he is returned before the next full moon."

The hall erupted with cheering and loud agreements to this task. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small frown appear on Arashi's face. Yes. He definitely had something to do with this. "All of you are dismissed to complete this task. Go, NOW."

No one had to be told twice before there were many flashes of elements before everyone was gone...

I grabbed Arashi's right shoulder before he could disappear as well and turned his whole torso around to face me.

"Except for you. Minato."

* * *

I feel so proud now. I re-did Kurama's section and it turned out better than the last and with less plot reveals! :D

Okay, so... this day takes place around January 21st. That was a waning gibbous. The next full moon was February 15th (yes, I actually do look this up so I can be accurate). Also, Minato is so going to get it!

Thank you guys for the reviews, follows, and favs and I hope that you guys continue to do so~

_**~Kitsune-Ohime-Sama~**_

_**PS: **_This chapter actually ended up having more words than it used to! :D


	3. Sunrise

**Pairings:**

SasuNaru/ Magnet Shipping

ItaDei/ Black &amp; White Shipping (Guess who's here!)

FugaMiko/ Persona Shipping

KyuuMina/ Seal Shipping

Why did this take so long? Three words:

Fuck. My. Life.

**Summary: **The Half Moon Celebration is over and done with, but Orochimaru isn't. However, with Naruto struggling to regain his powers and fit in the modern world and lack of communication from the Celestial Gods, Sasuke will need the help of the past to keep the world at peace and unknowing of the chaos that could descend upon it.

**Warnings: **Language, shounen-ai, suicide tw (if you are someone who needs to be aware of this warning, please message me and I'll give you a clean version), an extra long chapter with quite a few (hopefully welcome) surprises to make up for my lack of updates, and a whole new change of scenery~

Also, I think I made the first part sound really, really formal. xD

_Edited and Revised: 5/2/16_

Shadow = 4 Hours (2 Shadows = 8 Hours) *Think of how as the sun moves, so do shadows. Basically, the people of the "past" count the distance of placement of a shadow with each hour and had named it shadow.

* * *

_My eyes gazed towards the sky, glancing with interest over the little dots that my tribe believes to be the souls of our ancestors. There were none of the oddly shaped wisps of dust in the sea of the above, so nothing obscured my view of the forever standstill circles known as dawn and dusk._

_The many colors of the luminous circles graced the sky with a welcoming smile towards the never-ending day and night. Their brilliant glow peeked through the peaks and valleys of the small mounds of dirt that surrounded our camp. If I listened very closely, straining my ear to hear above the strange voice that whispered strange things, I could faintly hear the excited chirping of day-dwellers and the drowsy yawns of the night-dwellers as they retreated to the darker areas of the plane._

_I felt a smile try to place itself on my lips, but I refused it. The others would be waking soon and I was in no mood to hear their taunts._

_'Minato the Weak' they call me. Brutes, they are. I might be one of the smallest warriors of this tribe, but considering that I, and only I, was able to claim the title as the swift and most agile, they would do well to stay silent. I do not wish to be a braggart or appear as one who believes that they deserve everything the sun or moon touches for one small detail, but it is quite hard to live in a world that does not appear to need you._

_No one to call my sire or mistress, no one to call a brother or sister, and certainly no one to call a friend. If I am not being needlessly bullied or forced to perform outrageous exercises that do not sit well with my thin form, I am ignored. Whatever I would do in a day, the others could very easily do in a shadow. I am simply not needed by anything or anyone._

_I felt my face tighten and my hands fist as this thought rang through my mind. Even if it weren't true, I am completely assured that it would weigh quite heavily in my mind regardless._

_Then, a gentle feeling caressed my face as a branch of a nearby tree grew suddenly to meet my face. It stopped short of my nose. Several small flower buds sprouted and slowly bloomed into a beautiful group of flowers right before my eyes. was and a small leaf fluttered in front of me only to stop and hover in front of eyes. _

_I let out a small breathy laugh as I carefully picked the flowers from the branch and held their soft petals between my fingers. I looked around carefully, no one seemed to be up. Comforted by the privacy, I brought the flowers to my nose, engaging myself in their lovely scent. These flowers are my favorite... I thought we would leave our camping site before they finally bloomed. I am... truly happy._

_I blinked when I saw a small shadow. And another. And another! _

_I looked up. Petals from an above flowering branch were falling over me, some fluttering around to the ground and some landing in my sun-kissed hair. Reaching a hand upwards, I grasped a petal in my nimble fingers and brought it back down to my face and blew hard on it, making it blow out of my hand and spun wildly around me again. A familiar warmth grazed my bare shoulders and this time, I could not deny the smile._

_Well… maybe there is someone who needs me._

* * *

_Sunrise_

* * *

**~Itachi's POV~**

As I watched my little brothers fidget ever so often in his seat all the while sneaking glances at the small book bag that he sat on his lap, I couldn't keep the growing smirk from my face. I hid it with a well-placed left hand that leaned on the door by its elbow. The movement caught his eye and he turned his head to face me, bottom lip slightly swollen from that 'kiss' dear Naruto had oh so happily told me about. (Do I live to tease my brother? Well, of course. I am his older sibling; it is simply what we do.)

My garments were composed of a black shirt with absolutely nothing on it as well as black pants that barely made it past my ankles. Forgive me, but I did not feel like dressing up as my little brother had (who wore a red shirt over a black sweater with blue jeans and grey scarf around his neck - honestly, my little brother was such a hipster). Our coats, as black as night, were piled in the seat between us.

He glared at me, knowing full and well what I was thinking about. I merely waved him off with a flippant hand wave. I was in no particular mood to egg him on when there was something tremendously serious was going underfoot. If I could blurt out what it was to Naruto and Sasuke, I would do so in a heartbeat but Lord Minato himself had sworn me to secrecy.

I can only pray that Lord Minato's plan will be kind to my precious little brother.

I saw my little brother raise an eyebrow at my attitude before turning his attention elsewhere. He probably figured I'd tell him in a much more private place. Looking outside the window, I watched the ever vibrant shades of green and brown known as nature give way to the boring greys of the human race. We had finally reached the base of the mountain Konohagakure called home.

I turned my attention back to the front just in time to hear, "Fugaku, can you take the next exit? I need to stretch my legs." My Mother, Mikoto, asked softly, her right hand pointed at the upcoming exit sign. Father grunted, but he did navigate the car so that we'd enter the exit lane.

It wasn't long before we pulled over into a gas station. The building was small, but I could tell from the many shelves that there was truck loads of snacks that could be found inside. It had a large overhead roof to shield those under it from the falling snow. It however did not shield us from the cold, I was amused to note as I stepped out the car and was instantly slammed by the cool air.

The sky was dark with many clouds that sprinkled large clumps of snow onto the Earth's dry soil. It was so dark that not even the brightest streetlight or car light could penetrate the darkness. I did not mistake the occasional boom of thunder nor flash of lightning from a distance. Nor did I mistake the harsh thrashing of the trees as they swayed vulnerably against the wind.

I mistook none of this as a simple thing of nature. It was too dark for such a thing considering it was early noon.

Sasuke also took note of the sky, as he glanced at it occasionally with trepidation as he carefully lifted his book bag out of his lap and moved to carry it over to a group of three bench tables that were covered in snow and ice. Once at the table, he turned his back towards the car and sat down.

Mother's boots crunched the snow underneath her as she padded over to my side. Once she was standing shoulder to shoulder with me, I took the chance appreciate her appearance. She wore a lovely woolen, creme jacket that framed her body down to the back of her knees. For a shirt, she wore a simple white sweater and for bottoms, beige pants that bottomed out into beige boots with flowery designs expertly embroided into the cloth. Her wispy black hair was held back into a messy ponytail by a brown flower clasp. Her face was one of maternal worry.

I said nothing about it. Mother wouldn't talk about her personal feelings unless she started the conversation herself. She was self-conscience when it came to her feelings.

"…Sasuke… he's been acting strange ever since we left." I didn't say anything once more. Replying too early shied the target away from the point of their worry.

"… No, it was before that. He has been acting strange ever since we went to Konoha, hasn't he?" She looked at me, her eyes begging me to give her an acceptable answer about her youngest son. I inwardly narrowed my eyes. I love my mother, never doubt that, but I needed to be sure of how much she knew. If she knew more than she was supposed to, then it would be my duty to pick apart that knowledge until she didn't believe it anymore. I do not want Lord Minato to find a reason to silence my mother.

I quirked my right eyebrow upwards, "How so?"

She scowled slightly, turning her face back towards Sasuke. She licked her lips a couple times, hesitating to voice her concern. "… I'm not sure really. It was just… when I told him that I was feeling better, his face got a little colder. As if he didn't want me to be better." Her face and tone became hurt towards and I found myself inwardly face palming. Sasuke was adequate at hiding his true emotions from anyone but family. Thinking quickly, a lie came cleanly off the tip of my tongue.

"I'm sure he was just enjoying himself on the vacation, Mother. You have seen him engage quite happily with the villagers, have you not?" As I talked I could see the worry and pain ease away slowly; I was getting to her. "He probably just didn't want to leave after being used to Konohagakure and its residents for so long. Don't worry about him, he's fine."

She licked her lips again, before nodding. Mother had found my lie acceptable as an explanation. After giving a soft reminder to tell Sasuke to be back in the car after a few more minutes, she walked off towards the station, most likely to look for Father.

As soon as her footsteps had fully faded away, I made my way over to Sasuke's side at the bench. My eyes instantly caught the peaceful expression on his face as his fingers petted the inside of his book bag. It's been a long time since I've seen such tranquility on Sasuke's face.

"Did Mother ask about me?" He inquired, not bothering to look up at me.

"Yes. You should train yourself to hide your emotions a bit more. She thought you were not happy about her recovery." This time, Sasuke turned to face me. His face was tight with tension. He moved to get up.

"I should go apolo-"

"Already taken care of." I cut in. Sasuke gave me a questioning look before he nodded once and went back to petting the inside of his book bag. I crossed my arms and leaned against the table. "How is he?"

"He's shaking..." My little brother was frowning slightly and I did as well. It appears he wasn't adjusting to the cooler temperatures as well as we had initially hoped. Before I could suggest a solution, Sasuke was already extracting a pale yellow fox the size of a laptop from his bag.

It was shaking heavily and seemed to be glaring at Sasuke for taking him out of the warmth of the bag. Sasuke paid no mind as he silently unzipped his coat and placed the kit in the empty space available. Almost immediately, the fox changed its tune and began snuggling against his chest, eliciting another peaceful expression from Sasuke.

I couldn't stop myself from chuckling; my little brother was absolutely whipped. Sasuke's onyx narrowed into a glare, most likely guessing what I was thinking. I focused my attentions on the fox that was looking around curiously.

"I would've thought that Naruto would be trying to escape the bag at every waking moment." Hearing my voice refocused Naruto's blue eyes on me, but he regarded me for a brief second before turning away to stare at the fluorescent-lit gas station sign and yip quietly at it. I smile inwardly; his childish curiosity was rather refreshing in this family filled with statues and porcelain masks.

"I told him that I would take him exploring later." I raised an eyebrow.

"In the forest?"

"The city." This time I raised both of them. Sasuke was taking Naruto on a tour through Oto? Hasn't Sasuke thought about Orochimaru? After all, the man does have the _headquarters of his company _as well as_ his house_ in Oto. I couldn't keep the annoyed scowl off my face. My brother couldn't be anymore foolish than he was being right now.

I flicked my brother in the forehead, eliciting a playful yip from the fox and another glare from my brother.

"For the love of- I'm not planning on going anywhere near Orochimaru if that's what that flick was for," He snarled, eye twitching. Naruto started to growl along with him, but it was most likely from the mention of Orochimaru's name then what we were talking about. I opened my mouth to refute my brother's retaliation when I saw Mother and Father exiting the store through the peripherals of my left eye.

Sasuke noticed this too for he was now ushering a resisting Naruto back into the bag. Once Naruto was safely inside the bag once more, Sasuke stood up and grabbed it. I had watched the entire sequence with a tense posture and I decided to take this moment to grab his shoulder, drawing his attention.

I licked my lips apprehensively. This was a very delicate subject that I am not completely sure on how to explain to my brother without the many limitations placed upon me. A few moments had passed before I sighed and finally said, "I won't try to stop you from making such a stupid decision, but be careful. Someone as powerful as Orochimaru is bound to have eyes and ears wherever he can put them."

I didn't wait for him to respond to turn around and head back to the car where Mother and Father were waiting inside. I felt Mother's inquisitive stare as I buckled myself in and Sasuke slid into the car, but she didn't say anything. Inwardly, I mentally noted myself to diffuse Mother's wonder once more, in a more complete manner. She was highly superstitious having come from a small town where everyone feared the demons of the nether. Anything supernatural was bound to peak her interest and she would refuse to let it go until she knew for sure what it was. It used to be an endearing part of her personality in my younger days, but now, under the possible threat of the sky ruler's wrath, it was a death sentence that I was determined to rid her of.

Father's eyes looked between Sasuke and me, his rotten glare as silly as the others before and after it. I paid it no mind. The man wouldn't believe in any type or form of myth or fantasy even if Lord Minato parted the skies and let holy light flood over only his person. He was, in fact, one of the first to call the entire Half Moon Christmas festival a scam soon after we had returned to our temporary lodgings.

The sound of the revving engine was dulled by the silence that prevailed inside the car. Any other family would probably be joking, laughing at their latest adventures from vacation and reminiscing over their favorite parts.

We wouldn't. We would let the cold, suffocating atmosphere take over the entire car. Not even Naruto's soft rustling was enough to fight off the dominating quiet in the car.

* * *

**~Sasuke's POV~**

Pulling into the driveway of our home, I was struck with a feeling. It was not of one of being happy to be home one or even of homesickness being relieved. It was one of disgust and being trapped in a cage.

I had never liked being here because my father would use it as a prison for me; one I frequently escaped only to return to higher security and less holes for even a mouse to crawl through. The only time I find being under this roof bearable is when mother asks me to perform a task with her- the only time I can forget the frigid atmosphere this mansion carries. Thinking about it a bit more, Naruto, being the free spirit he is, probably wouldn't enjoy being forced under the stifled air of the Uchiha mansion for any longer than I can.

It was very large (or extremely huge according to some of my friends from school) with equally large grounds for many activities that switched up depending on the time of year. Regardless, there was a lot of space in the back that was mostly used for social parties and gatherings. On the far back left side was a medium-sized lake with two large willows drooping over it that I'm positive Naruto would love.

The smooth, pitch black driveway was circular with a large, stone fountain with rushing water that was warmed periodically over the course of the day to prevent it from being frozen. Around the perimeter of the fountain were small shrubs that would burst into gradients of blue during spring and summer.

The mansion itself had gray-black brick walls with a couple beige-white stones for the corners and accents. Even though it had many windows that let it tons of light, they were blocked by thick curtains. Tall trees and short bushes were aligned in a systematically manner with not a single branch or twig out of place; the gardeners must have been working overtime. Too bad their work might be nothing if one would just take a look at the dark clouds that were rolling in.

The mansion is on the outskirts of Otogakure, but close enough to where the sounds and skyscrapers of the bustling city can be heard and seen. Very few wandered this way unless they were family or had business here. The entire structure was just flat-out intimidating for those who didn't grow up within its walls. Even Mother winced a little when she looked up at it for more than moment. Father, however, was a statue. I couldn't help but stare at the back of his head as he parked the car in front of the entrance. He hasn't said much of anything ever since the festival. Not a quip or an insult, or even just an order.

It was… strange. Honestly, after everything that I've witnessed, I can't get over the feeling of suspicion over Father's behavior. Was he just holding his opinion in until he got home or was there something far more sinister going on? Maybe he was just feeling uneasy? I guess that could be it. Father normally acts disoriented when arriving at different places after long absences.

I stole a look at Itachi who was giving his phone fleeting glances (he was probably texting Deidara). Normally, if something was terribly off, Itachi would already know about it and have some sort of plan already in motion that he wouldn't tell me about until the very last needed step has been taken and nothing can stop him. Feeling my eyes on him, he turned his head to me with an inquisitive eyebrow raised.

_What?_

I stared at him for a while before shrugging.

_Nothing._

He blinked and let out an inaudible snort before turning his head around to face the outside.

_Liar._

Just like that, the brief, unheard conversation was over.

* * *

I had practically ran to my room and had actually gotten lost (how long has it been since I was in my home for longer than two hours?). My luggage would be taken up by the maids; even then, the most important one as the one I held tightly to my chest.

When I had finally reached my door, I flung it open and then slammed it shut. I fell backwards against it, letting out a deep breath I didn't know I was holding in. Finally, I can relax a little.

"That entrance of yours was rather cute, Sasuke." I froze in place as my eyes darted around the darkness that clouded my room when the light was flicked on, causing me to groan as my eyes painfully adjusted to the contrast. I leveled a sneer to my brother's blank face as he sat squarely on my bed, clearly having sat there for a while.

"Goddamn- Itachi, how'd you get here before me?"

"Unlike you, little brother, I had actually taken the time to know where my room is. You know. Across the hall from yours." His eyes gained a playful glint while he said that.

This answer only made my scowl even darker. "Don't you have something better to do in _your_ room, then?"

The glint left behind and his expression became wary.

"I'm afraid that is not the case, Sasuke," He patted the place beside him as an invitation that I took with caution. Father wasn't the only one who has been acting strange. After releasing Naruto from the confines of the book bag, I took the offered spot.

Naruto, now able to move about in his human form, was stretching himself on the ground while warily eyeing the furniture in my room. I hope he doesn't think it fit to scratch them - he had seemed to gain the annoying habit a week ago out of stress. I'd really rather not come home from school only to find my drawing pads in shreds.

Trying to ignore the inner horrified wail I was giving at the mental picture "So?"

"We can't talk just yet." Itachi shrugged and pulled out his phone to look at it. He sighed as he moved his gaze from the phone to the door. "He said he'd be here by now."

I blinked owlishly at my brother. He? What did he mean by- my posture slackened as I narrowed Itachi down with a bland stare. "You invited him over."

Itachi had the decency to avoid my gaze. "It's been a while since I saw him face to f-"

"You invited him over." I repeated.

"I had asked him to watch Orochimaru and now he's just coming to repo-"

"You. Invited. Him. Over."

Itachi sighed exasperatedly, finally giving in. "Yes. I invited him over."

"Itachi!" I hissed exasperatedly. "The last time he came over, he blew up the left side of the mansion!"

"Oh, you never liked the left side anyway."

"He can blow up _my room_!"

"Oh, you're barely here anyway."

"_Not the point._"

"What are Sasuke and 'achi speaking over? Who is he? He wants to know!" Naruto suddenly butted into our conversation after having enough of watching us go back and forth. He had never seemed to stick Itachi's name with his face and ended up giving him a crude nickname that made Itachi cringe every time it was uttered. I won't deny the satisfaction it gives me nor deny my occasional calling of my older brother by the abhorred name.

While Itachi was muttering under his breath about properly teaching Naruto his name, I took the time to answer him. "We're talking about Itachi's fiancé, Deidara."

Naruto blinked. "What is 'fonsi'?"

I frowned, trying to think of the right words to explain the term in a way Naruto would understand. "It's-"

I was abruptly cut off when my door slammed open and banged against the wall near it. Great, he wasn't even here for more than three seconds and already I want to drop my head in my hands and go to my happy place. Itachi didn't seem to care that my wall was now severely damaged (I'm not even going to mention the state of my doorknob) as his face lit up with a small smile.

"Deidara."

The wickedly smiling blond in the middle of my doorway waved exaggeratedly despite us only being three feet away from each other. "Hey Itachi~. I've got the info you wanted, un."

I flinched as my eyes looked over Deidara's chosen array of clothing, or rather, the most annoying and eye-catching explosion of color you'll ever see. The man, twenty-three years old, had long blond hair that he usually kept in a high ponytail and a long band that framed the left side of his face. To hold the band back from his blue-grayish eyes, Deidara had a rainbow of hair clips that kept most of the bang back. His shirt was a yellow-orange-red gradient with one strap on the right shoulder.

On his left, the strap of a gray t-shirt could be seen as well as at the bottom of gradient shirt as it was supposed to be an accent. A black tie (?) was lazily tied around Deidara's neck and had… _staples _(?)…_** stapled**_ (?) into its left bottom side.

On his arms and hands were bandages that I've never seen off Deidara's hands as well as many different-colored bracelets as Deidara could put on his arms. Deidara kept separated by dubbing one arm the 'hot' arm and the other the 'cold' arm (I honestly don't get it, but then I don't really like nor have I ever been for coloring. Sketching with an ordinary lead pencil is just fine with me). His pants' true color was white, but with all the spots and splashes of paint and clay, you probably wouldn't see it. His ensemble was finished off with a simple pair of black sneakers, but I knew that it was only a matter of time before they, too, got the 'color treatment' as Deidara once proudly stated once.

All in all, the man was an eye-sore to look at. Itachi knows my less-than–impressive thoughts on the man, but he always just retorts that Deidara thinks I'm too 'monochrome' and that I don't 'appreciate the true beauty of art'. He often teases me and mocks my art by calling it 'stale' or saying it 'doesn't contain any life or energy'. I often respond that his art is too flashy and that there's no point to his art except to just be a pain to the eye.

As you can probably guess, we do not like each other. And now… this man has pictures of me cuddling Naruto in my sleep. Because of my demon older brother.

Life is _wonderful_.

Naruto's own eyes were scanning over Deidara in some sort of awestruck horror- I don't think he's ever seen such clothing before (most if not all the Konoha villagers wore dark, earthy colors). Cautiously, he crept on his hands and knees forward to sniff at one of Deidara's hands, causing Deidara to raise an eyebrow.

"This is that demigod you told me about? He really doesn't look like much, un." Upon hearing the last statement, Naruto pulled an irritated face and growled lowly at Deidara. The other blond just gave him a lazy smile. "Oh, you have some spunk do ya? I like that." While Naruto continued to stare at Deidara with confusion on his face, Deidara took the time to playfully ruffle Naruto's hair.

"That's great, Monochrome could use a bit of an explosion in his life." Then, Deidara actually took a good look at Naruto's clothing (which consisted of the robe that I had found him in that he absolutely refused to throw away). "… Though, you're in desperate need of new clothes, un!"

He grabbed the frozen Naruto and turned to face Itachi while his face was twisted in a terrible stupor. "Itachi, you of all people should know better than to let such a fashion travesty occur!"

Itachi looked away in mock shame as Deidara continued to berate him. As I continued to look at Naruto's clothing, I did have to admit that the style did not really fit Naruto all too well. Kakashi and Iruka's disguise for Naruto was far better and I'm sure that if Deidara got his way, Naruto would end up in clothing similar to that. Deidara fancied himself a fashion designer.

His style of making clothing was well-known for being one-of-a-kind as he often made (exceedingly well-made, I will admit) sculptures of his clients and then made little outfits for the sculptures to model and allow his clients to choose from those. Once chosen, he and his client would fine-tune the outfit and Deidara would get to work on the life-size version. When that was done, Deidara offered the clay sculpture at sale price to go along with the outfit(s). Even though his own array of clothing left much to be desired, in my opinion, some of the ensembles that he had designed have really been top-of-the-charts material.

It's because of this, Deidara will sometimes get high-end clients - clients who frequently talked with or about Orochimaru and his business in his shop.

However, now is _so_ not the time for 'fashion travesties'.

Slapping Deidara's hand away, I ordered, "The information you got on Orochimaru?"

The other raised an eyebrow before plopping his ass down into Itachi's lap (no comment). "And who are you to demand that from me, Monochrome?"

"Itachi-nii had you collect in-" I was suddenly cut off when by Naruto who harshly pulled at my shirt. When I turned to look at him, I was surprised to see him look so agitated what with him baring his teeth at me and upward-pointed ears.

"Wh-"

"He _still_ does not know 'fonsi'!" He pointed at Deidara who looked at the finger with bemusement and slight befuddlement.

"Is he Deid'ra or fonsi? He wants to know! He smells of 'Achi and of earth so must be friend. He wants to know friend." Ugh, I had forgotten that I still hadn't explained 'fiance' to him. Though, I can't really see why Naruto has such an emphasis put on knowing who Deidara is after he had roughly handled him.

"Pft, 'Deid'ra', un? My name is Deida_ra_. I am no 'fonsi', whatever that is, un. Though, I can definitely tell who 'Achi is." Deidara smiled in an amused way, crossing his arms and leaning into Itachi's chest.

While I could see Itachi's eye twitch slightly at the nickname, he was the one to answer Deidara (because the man sure as hell won't listen to me).

"Naruto means "fiancé". He hasn't gotten the hang of the words of the present just yet."

Deidara raised an eyebrow. "So what? He talks cavemen?"

"No. He can talk just fine the way he is. As long as he's comfortable with the way he speaks, it doesn't matter." I cut in, annoyed with Deidara's brush off of Naruto. I know Naruto didn't particularly care for people's opinions (mostly because he didn't find it interesting to translate their insults into his dialect), but that doesn't mean he should be insulted for something he can't help. And after seeing Naruto smiling slightly at me, I can assume that he took Deidara's words harder than most criticism against his speech.

"… Deidara." Naruto said lowly, his blue eyes were focused hard on the other blond. The other didn't seem to care too much since all he did was huff and lean further against Itachi's chest. Naruto and I leaned against the wall with Naruto's tail snaked securely around my right leg.

"So, do you want the info or not, un?"

Itachi wasn't put off by Deidara's annoyance. "Yes, start when ready."

Deidara huffed once more and closed his eyes. "I didn't get much because Orochimaru was still out of town when you told me to keep up with him. However, I got some business with the Yakushi family three days ago."

I blinked in surprise, making Naruto whine curiously at me. I was too lost in thought to tell him what I knew of the Yakushi so he pulled on my shirt.

"Are Yakushi important?" He asked, looking between Itachi, Deidara, and I.

Deidara laughed mockingly. "Oh, they're more than just important, foxy~ un."

"Deidara." Itachi chastised slightly. The blond chuckled but didn't comment further.

Relinquishing my glare on him, I turned to respond to Naruto. "They're known for producing the greatest medics in our time and have made over twenty vaccines for various illnesses in the last century."

He looked like he had understood most of my explanation but… "… medics?"

"Healers."

"Oh - Yakushi heal the sick and wounded? Vacinines are their herbs and spells?" Naruto inquired, nodding to himself on his reasoning. I shook my head.

"Not exactly…"

"There's word on the streets that they kidnap people to test their vaccines and experiments on. A lot of those people were never seen again and have supposedly died. Some did come back, but they were extremely haunted and depressed. They ended up killing themselves due to the trauma." Itachi added, causing everyone to look at him.

"Killed themselves?" Naruto's voice was twisted with distress. I can't imagine him understanding the concept of suicide since… he's immortal and all, but even then, thinking about going through an experience that made you despair so much that you wanted you to kill yourself is… incredibly unsettling.

"Yeah, the Yakushi. Keep up, foxy." Deidara ignored the growl he received (I cannot specify if it was from me or Naruto) and continued on. "From what I've heard from lacing some of my model statues with microphones was something about a 'Celestial Realm', un. In order to get to it, they needed a fox…"

The designer took this time to open his eyes and point at Naruto. "I'm supposing that fox is you, huh, foxy?"

I frowned. "That doesn't make sense. Naruto's jewel allowed him to visit and leave the Celestial Realm as well control his powers. Orochimaru destroyed the jewel at the Half Moon Celebration."

Beside me, Naruto frowned. I looked at him apologetically for mentioning the Half Moon Celebration but he didn't seem to notice it. Deidara shrugged, not appearing to care about the world and the possibility of it ending. "Not my issue to figure out the whys and why nots, all I did was get the info."

… Get this man out of my sight before I choke him.

* * *

Later on that night, I was lying on my back and staring at Naruto. Itachi and Deidara had retired to Itachi's room soon after Deidara's forced out of me Naruto's measurements ("Leave it to me, Monochrome! Foxy is going to look stunning, un!").

The rest of the day had been spent with Naruto and I trying to sneak food from the kitchens to my room so I wouldn't have to constantly go back and forth throughout the day just to feed Naruto. I hadn't wanted to bring Naruto along at first, but he was insistent on helping.

Once that was done, I had Naruto change out of his clothes into something that wouldn't cause people to look at him strangely. While my clothes fluctuate between being tight and loose on him, we eventually settled on some gray sweat pants and a black shirt.

Long shadows crawled up my walls and over the shadow Naruto cast and I could hear the faint sound of a train outside. Naruto was up as always staring out the window into the night. While I could spy the ever-present sadness in his eyes, they were also bright with curiosity as he concentrated on the lights of Otogakure. His ears twitched at every sound, taking in the noises he had never heard before.

He looked less haunted than he did back in Konoha and… I wanted to make it so he never felt that devastated again. I want to see his goofy smile light up the room like it did before his jewel was shattered.

"Hey…" He turned to me, bright curiosity clear in his eyes. "Do you want to go somewhere with me?"

* * *

_**~Minato's POV~**_

_"Except for you. Minato."_

Kyuubi's had narrowed ruby eyes that burned with fury. Too bad my ice blue was simply unmeltable.

"I do not recall ever giving you permission to utter my name." I pushed against his chest, making him loose his hold over my shoulders. I took the opportunity to quickly turn and walk away. I knew I would not be able to warp myself out – Kyuubi would simply use his magic to cancel out mine. Not far behind me, I could hear his angry stomping as he vehemently tried to keep up to my fast pace.

"Minato! You of all the Gods should very well know what would happen if Naruto was to leave Konoha! He is –"

"A puppet." I cut in, finally turning around to face the ruler of the Celestial Gods. He stopped short and nearly tripped at my sudden stop. When he managed to get back on his feet, he nailed me with a confused glare.

"What are you tal-"

"Naruto is a doll you fashioned from the fragments of my mortal body and given my own blood to bring him to life. It was because of that, the rest of the Celestial Gods and Goddesses shunned him as they had shunned me for having mortal origins. And it's because of his origins that he could easily be bound to the mortal realm once you realized the mistake _you_ had made. A mistake that _you_ didn't bother to right until it was too late." I bit out, scowling with great disdain. Thinking of the entire event left a bitter taste in my mouth for it only showed how shallow these Spirits are when faced with trouble.

The Celestial Gods and Goddesses like to pretend and gloat about how they are higher than the humans they had created for pure amusement, but they forget that humans are modeled after themselves. Their greed, pride, and selfishness come from the traits the Celestial Spirits themselves parade with.

Just look around, look at how the Spirits try to out best each other with the better homes. How they conjure them to be tall and full of trinkets of gold and silver, how they strut around in bejeweled robes and accessory and how they would try to impress one another with items and objects that truly have no real value. How they often mock me for my lacking attributes as well as the things I refuse to appreciate "properly" and how poorly I treat "my lordship Kyuubi".

Alas, regardless of the realm I cannot escape the foolishness completely, but at least here I not only hold the second highest ranking but I can seclude myself in a self-sustaining pocket of space. But even that can be invaded by the one Spirit who is of higher power than myself.

"It is true that Naruto is a creation of your body and blood and my own magic," Kyuubi began, looking composed once more. "However, unlike you, Naruto's creation led to a great tragedy - one that required him as a sacrifice, Minato. You may have a great control and influence over the others, but none over me."

Kyuubi leaned into my face, so close that our noses were nearly touching. His breath tickled my chin as he spoke his next words. "You would do well to remember that."

Then he began to walk away, most likely believing that what he said will stick and needs no further words. Usually, I would let him walk. As only the consort of the ruler of the Celestial Spirits, I only had so much to go against his already brimming power not to mention I had no intentions of going up against just about everyone including him.

However, this was one thing I refuse to let go. Not this time.

"If you truly consider his existence a mistake, then you are even more egotistical than I gave you credit for."

Kyuubi stopped and turned his head over his shoulder to stare at me, his face was cool but his eyes were alight with anger. He was warning me to back down before I said something I would regret. I felt my hands clench at my sides before I began to walk briskly towards his form, all the while continuing. "And just because he was originally nothing to begin with, does not make him any less of one deserving respect and love and a chance to share his own thoughts."

Kyuubi turned around fully to face me when we were only a few meters apart, his eyes looking down at me. For a moment we were silent. Then, he said, "Strange you of all Spirits would say that. Regardless, I have never said anything about not loving Naruto, Arashi."

I shook my head. "I find myself doubting that, especially when you treat him so callously." I whispered, finally in front of Kyuubi.

Kyuubi stared at my face. "Are you really continuing with this? It is particularly noted that you were the biggest one against Naruto leaving for the mortal realm. All of this… nonsense you are spouting… I am positive it is just you being bitter."

My lips turned upwards into a bitter-sweet smile. "I may be bitter, but at least I care for our son's happiness."

Kyuubi looked so taken aback by my retort that I took the chance to warp myself out before he could collect himself. Streaks of blue and white surrounded my form before they fell away to reveal the familiar inside cottage that I had conjured out of my need to live somewhere far less extravagant than Kyuubi's 'perfect, huge castle' of a home.

While at first, angered and confused on my choice of living, he eventually let me live in this cottage. It had four rooms, a sitting room, a living room, a storage room, and my resting room. Since Spirits can forgo eating and drinking for as long as they wish (most do it because they enjoy the experience of taste), there's not much of a need of this "plumbing" I've seen humans create.

Its walls have the appearance of a wooden cottage being bathed in the calming hues of the twilight. If you walked outside, you would notice the surrounding crescent of water that is the lake that I use when I brew a storm of water for the land below. Many trees and flowers dominated the realm outside my cottage and if you walked forward far enough, you would enter someone else's home realm. Behind, to the left, is the "drop-off" from the Celestial Realm to the Mortal Realm. It is there that I supervise the rising of the sun and moon.

Seeing the sight of home soothed my agitated nerves and I can feel my form slump. Tired, I trudged to my sleeping quarters and let myself crumble onto the clouds I have fashioned into a makeshift bed. With a wave of my hand, a small circle composed of white wisps formed and through it, I could see my son and that mortal child, Sasuke, climbing down from a human construct. When Naruto was at the bottom, he had jumped down as well as Sasuke, and they ended up hitting each other. Luckily, they were not far from the ground and I had made sure to rain down plenty of snow around the human cave in case of accidents.

My eyes pricked with tears at seeing my son laughing with no restraints as Sasuke shook himself free from the snow. Even though the mortal my son chose as his looked highly disgruntled, I could sense his own amusement as he reached out a hand for Naruto to grab.

It might be rough, but if I could make it so Naruto would forever smile the way he does when he's with Sasuke, then I will tear down the boundary between us with my bare hands.

* * *

_**~Naruto's POV~**_

He allows Sasuke to guide him through the place of tall caves and flashing lights. His eyes are forever wide with fascination – he did not believe humans had advanced so much since he had last been there. However…

He sneezed harshly and groaned a little at the rancid smell of the 'city'. He could hear through the hat Sasuke had put on his head small chuckles from the other. His nose was forever unhappy with the scent this jungle of metal and stone carried. He wished that it was the time of bloom so that he could plunge his being into a meadow of flowers and flush this horrid smell from his nose forever more.

Their footsteps rang clearer on the solid gray earth than they ever did on the dirt paths of Konoha. Sometimes they passed another walking person and sometimes they passed a resting person. Those mortals made him think. Why they not home sleeping?

He resolved to ask Sasuke about it. Sasuke usually knows the answer to his questions. Speaking of which-

"What is 'fiunci'?" He asked as they turned another corner. These new words felt strange to him, but Deidara's reaction had rocked his unshaken determination to not care of others' thoughts on his speech. However, Sasuke had already told him that if he feels comfortable with the way he speaks, he doesn't need to change it then.

"'Fiance', and it's a… mate to be." Sasuke replied. Mate to be? As in not mates yet? He had never heard such a thing before, usually a pair or more declared themselves mates immediately after claiming or before and it was done with.

"Why wait?"

It took a little longer for E-Sasuke to answer this. "Some people want to make the official mating special by planning it like… choosing a special place for it or who will come to the mating."

?!

"HUMANS WATCH EACH OTHER MATE!?"

"Wha!? No, well- some, BUT NOT ALL and that's just - I mean!"

?!

"Oh fuck, what the hell?!"

!?

* * *

It was after he and Sasuke calmed that Sasuke explained that no, humans do not watch each other mate and that being a _fiance_ (or engaged) meant planning an official ceremony with a mystic to bless their union and _then_ they mated _alone_, did he finally calm to ask.

"Are… Sasuke and H-I fiances?" Sasuke and he were together in the romantic sense and he certainly had no plans of letting Sasuke be with others in that way. He was confident E-Sasuke felt the same… or at least that's what he liked to believe.

"No… we're not." At seeing his frown, Sasuke continued, most likely trying to help him understand, "It's not as if I wouldn't mind… but that sort of thing is a huge commitment and isn't easily broken. I want to wait a few years before I even think of something like that. You get it, don't you?"

He nodded, smiling. He realized what Sasuke was saying - once you mate, it was forever. Spirit, mortals, whoever sometimes need space and time to get used to such an idea before they consider who they want to spend their lives with. And, he would like it if Sasuke knew for sure that he wanted to be with him forever rather than suddenly jumping into mating and regret it later.

A flash of red light caught his eye and troubles forgotten, he eagerly asked what it was. Sasuke indulged in his question about the 'traffik light' as well as anything about the metal jungle they walked through. He learned many words, some he found had some use, but others he felt were better left forgotten (why does the earth need a name like 'sidewalk'? It is already earth!).

!

His nose twitched at the scent, could it? Careful sniffing said it was! Excitement!

"Sas'ke! Woods!"

"Hmm?" Sasuke gave him fond look before looking towards where He was pointing. "…Woods? You mean that group of trees over there?"

He nodded, grinning widely. "Trees of the forest."

Sasuke made a weird sound, but he looked entertained. "They're probably trees that can be found in Konohagakure." His face became one he did not know of. He thought it was sadness, but it looked kind of held back. "… Do you miss Konoha?"

He blinked. Miss Konoha?

Of course he did. Konoha was his home and the villagers and forest animals were his friends. He had sworn to protect it and them but…

Fingers reached towards the string he still wore around his neck, but its normal weight was missing. How could he protect them if he did not have his powers? If he could not light their darkness, what use did he have? None. And… if he couldn't perform his job, then...

"He does miss Konoha… but," He nuzzled Sasuke's face, "When Sasuke leave, he will be more missed. He can visit Konoha when he wants, but he cannot visit Sasuke as easily."

Konoha needed him as their protector. Papa and Sasuke just needed him to be him.

Naruto smiled a little at that thought. He felt arms wrap around him and he relaxed into the familiar warmth as Sasuke whispered into naked ear, "Alright."

"Sasuke?"

Surprise. He glanced up from the space in Sasuke's neck and saw a pretty person with long hair tied back and white eyes. Next to them was another person with hair of the flames and grass eyes outlined with black. There was something about the boy with flames that enthralled him, but he couldn't pick up just what it was. They both wore clothing that protected their torso, legs, and heads from the cold. They were looking at him and Sasuke with confusion. Maybe they knew Sasuke?

Grinning, he waved his hand in greeting. "Sasuke's friends!"

He felt Sasuke shift before letting go completely to turn and meet the new people. "Naruto, who are you talking to- Neji? Gaara?"

Neji (he supposed that was their name since he spoke first and Sasuke said his name first) spoke this time and when he did, he quickly took back his original thought that Neji was girl. "Yeah, it's us. When did you get back home?"

"About six hours ago." Neji and Gaara made weird noises. He tilts his head at the sound. This time, he heard Gaara's rough voice.

"And you stayed in your house for that long without trying to escape? That has to be a record."

"Come off it, Sabaku." He saw Gaara/Sabaku give a wry smile before his eyes focused on him.

Neji followed, his eyebrows scrunched. He didn't seem to like him that much… "Who is he?"

H… I grinned again. "Naruto! H-I is Naruto."

Neji scowled while Gaara had a strange face and it made him want to frown, too. Has he committed a mistake? "Where do you come from? I haven't heard of you anywhere."

Sasuke interrupted then, looking around with curiosity and warning. "We should talk about that somewhere else."

The other two seemed to gain a look of understanding as they're eyes darkened slightly and they began to look out of the corners of their eyes.

"We can go to my house. It's three blocks away." Gaara said, tilting his head to the left. Sasuke looked at He and smiled back. He didn't see a problem with going with these two if Sasuke was acting friendly with them.

Eager to see more of this foreign world Sasuke lived in, he threw a fist in the air. "Let us go!"

* * *

_**~Kurama's POV~**_

How dare you. How can you? How can you just say that and leave?

"_I may be bitter, but at least I care for our son's happiness."_

What am I supposed to say to that? How am I supposed to defend myself? How am I supposed to tell you that's not true?

Unseeing, my feet took me away from the throne room and into my private quarters of my castle; the twists and turns of my home were nothing against my memory. In my resting room, there was a balcony in which I could see all of the Celestial Realm from.

I used it to look over my realm, but I also use it to watch you. Your personal realm is in the far northwest; far from the bustle and flashiness of the closer realms. It was at the very border of the drop-off into the mortal realm. All Gods and Goddesses kept far from it, wanting nothing to do with the mortals we leave to their own destructive vices. The same realm our son now dwells in.

Did it bother me? Of course it did! That is my son created from the both of us. However, him never having the chance to be a human at one point, he never learned the lessons of discipline and responsibility. He was looked down upon by the other spirits for not just the nature of his creation, but for his child-like personality.

I couldn't have him running around the realm, shirking off his responsibility of helping Arashi brighten the sky and warm the earth. And I certainly couldn't have him disrupting others or myself.

I had sent him down, hoping he would learn the meaning of hard work and of the benefits you may receive from it. I had sent him down to learn what it truly means to loose something important and what it means to want to protect. I did not send him down to destroy the very bonds of space and time that the Celestial Spirits have spent more than a millennia preserving.

You say you care for our son's happiness, my dear Arashi? I say that I care for my son's safety against the forces beyond even my own control.

* * *

Half Moon revisions are done! :D

Anyway, thank you for the faves and follows. I already have a good idea of what next chapter will consist of. I also think this story might be bordering 15 chapters if it's not less than 10. I don't know, that's just the feeling I get.

Please have a wonderful day/night!

_**~Kitsune-Ohime-Sama~**_

**PS:** Cries because revisions ARE FINALLY OVER.

...

/starts eyeing the early chapters of WSHL


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